The Darkness Nothing War
by Mr DCWood
Summary: A year after Castle Oblivion, Sora has finally awakened, but in the shadows, the creature known as Sharak has declared total war on Organization XIII. Can Hi-Jax, the Organization's reluctant counter-measure, stand against him? Please review!
1. Chapter 1: The Story So Far

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 1: The Story So Far_**

She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she'd lost them. Why were they chasing her, these horrible white creatures? Why were they relentless in their pursuit? What had she done to earn their ire?

If only she could remember…

It brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't remember a single thing about her past. And she was all on her own. No friends, no family, no home…no _anything_.

She was _nothing_.

_No_, she shook her head dismissively and determinedly. _I HAVE to be SOMEONE. Everyone is. But…who am I? I need to know!_

Whoever she was, where she had come from, the teenager knew that she had to find out. Not just because of her burning desire to unearth her past, but also because there were forces at work who wanted her dead. Knowledge was the key to her survival, and even though she herself did not know it, knowledge was the key to her _completion_.

Anyway, she was safe now. Only for the moment, but still safe regardless. Now she had time to begin her quest, to find out who she was. What would happen after she learnt the truth? She didn't know or care. Only the fulfilment of her _current _goal mattered.

One small comfort to her was that while she had been fleeing from the white nightmares, she had been able to take care of herself. Somehow, she had been able to wish for a gateway to another world. When it looked as though her doom was imminent, she had prayed for a way out of this nightmare, not wanting to die. To her amazement her wish had been granted. Along with another wish; her wish to fight back.

Before she had made her escape, she had been able to summon sai daggers to her possession. She had been blessed with the knowledge of how to use them effectively, taking a considerable number of those white monsters out of the game permanently. She was inexperienced, though. And that had ultimately led to her wish of escape.

And now she was in another world. It felt familiar. Traverse Town it was called. Of course, the only way she knew that was because the friendly townsfolk had told her so. But a small part of her felt as though she had been here before. Her intuition, along with the peacefulness and welcoming nature of the town, meant that she could stay here for a while.

She was hungry and thirsty. She wished she had some munny for a nice hot meal and a drink at the café in the town's First District. And a room at the beautiful hotel in the second district. It sure looked nice and cosy. She needed all the basic pleasures to sustain her and make her feel better after what she had been through.

But she could last for a little while longer. There were plenty of jobs going round, as advertised on the notice board outside the Accessory Shop. In the meantime, she noticed the café was a cyber one. Meaning computers and internet access. That would be her best chance of finding out what was going on.

Thankfully, the computers could be used by non-customers. The town's hospitality also shone through again. The staff could tell instantly that she'd been through hell as soon as she walked through the door. Not wanting to take advantage of their generosity, the unknown teenager said that she couldn't, on the grounds that she had no munny. The staff wouldn't have any of it. Traverse Town was a sanctuary for survivors whose worlds had been lost to darkness. A safe haven for those had been subjected to madness and evil.

In the end, she consented. The coffee and bagel made her feel a little better, as did the genuine compassion and warmth that radiated from these townsfolk, who knew that the gratitude in her eyes was more than sincere. It was such a relief that there was calm _after_ the storm.

An hour of searching on the web, though, did nothing to shed light on the situation. Merely news events, general gossip and unconfirmed rumours were all that she could find. General knowledge that she already possessed.

She lowered her head sadly and sighed in despair.

_I'll never find out. Why has this happened to me? I feel like…I don't belong here. It's as those the whole world is against me because I shouldn't exist._

She was just about to leave, when she noticed an advert popped up on screen. Unlike all those dozens of previous ones that had just irritated her, this one had succeeded in capturing her attention. Mainly because of what it was.

The ad possessed a weird emblem of some kind. The teenage girl recognised it. It was an amalgam of a black heart with a cross at the bottom. The entire symbol was outlined in red and there was a jagged red 'x' that was placed across the heart shape of the emblem.

Curious as to why it had popped up, she clicked on it. A new window opened on screen, asking for a password in order to allow further entry. The outsider was confused. Why had this come up all of a sudden? She knew much better than to chalk it up to coincidence. Someone was trying to help her get the answers she was seeking. But who?

She then thought back to the emblem. Maybe that was the password?

She typed in 'Heartless' into the entry bar.

_Wait a minute…Heartless…those without hearts. When a person loses their heart, that heart becomes a creature of the darkness. They collect hearts, feasting on the hearts of people and worlds themselves. And they seek the ultimate prize…the heart of all worlds…Kingdom Hearts._

Before she entered her guess at the password, the teenager paused. She remembered, and that surprised her.

The emblem had jogged her memory. That had led to the name of beings that the emblem was associated with. And that name had led to what the beings actually were, what they were all about.

_Chain of memories,_ she nodded, sure of her theory.

She entered the password. To her disappointment, the words 'ACCESS DENIED' appeared on screen.

_Should've guessed. That would've been too easy._

Another ad popped up on screen. It had nothing to do with what was happening now. And for the outsider, it was one irritating ad too many. She angrily closed the ad, not caring in the least as to what it was all about.

_Sea salt ice-cream_, she seethed angrily. _That's the last thing I need right now._

Then a figurative light bulb flashed in her head. A very bizarre and creepy theory crossed her mind. It was a long shot, unquestionably…but…

_Blazes with it, _she decided, opting to take any chance to find out what could be the key to her survival.

She entered 'sea salt ice-cream' into the password display.

If there was any doubt that someone was trying to help her find out who she was before…there were _definitely_ no doubts anymore.

_What if it's somehow those white creatures?! Trying to lure me into a trap?! No, calm yourself…whoever you are. You have to believe that there's some good out there. Like these people in Traverse Town._

'Whoever you are'. She couldn't believe she had called herself that. But what else could she call herself. She had lost her memories, including that of her name. It brought another tear to her eye.

_No one should be without a name…an identity. It's not right_.

Her instincts took over, and she concentrated on the screen. At that point, the information displayed had taken her eyes and would not let go.

There were so many files being displayed; chronicles on important past events, data files on the Heartless and other things. The other files were labelled 'Keyblade', 'Ansem Reports', 'Nobodies', 'Princesses of Heart', 'Keyholes', 'Organization XIII', 'Council of Light', 'Terron' and 'Sharak' among so much more.

_Keyblade, Ansem…_the nameless teenager nodded, the haze starting to clear in her head. _Yes…I've heard of them. Definitely_.

Before she made her next move, the stranger stopped to take a thought break. This clearly wasn't a website. And someone had clearly helped her hack into someone's computer. And the odds were that it wouldn't take too kindly to intruders.

Whatever the consequences were, the nameless teenager was prepared to run the risk. She already knew that she was in danger. What difference would a little more make when right before her were the secrets she needed to progress?

She reminded herself that she was still safe here in Traverse Town for the time being, and then accessed the file labelled 'Chronicles'. There were many chapters displayed, so logically, it was best to start from the beginning.

She accessed the document titled 'The Beginning; Keybearer, King and Heartless', sat back and let the computer tell her the story.

* * *

TWILIGHT TOWN MANSION COMPUTER.

OPERATIONS MAINFRAME.

CHRONICLE DOCUMENTS ACCESSED.

THE BEGINNING; KEYBEARER, KING AND HEARTLESS.

There are many worlds out there. But they all share the same sky. One sky, one destiny. One by one, the stars in the sky were going out. All worlds were in dire peril. Mickey Mouse, the king of Disney Castle, sensed the danger and left his world to investigate. The King, a very knowledgeable individual, knew of the legend of a mysterious weapon called the 'Keyblade'.

There are two legends regarding the Keyblade, both of them conflicting with one another. The first legend documents how its wielder used it to save the world. The other legend documents how the wielder used it to bring chaos and ruination upon everything.

Regardless of which legend is accurate, the Keyblade is the key to everything. Choosing to believe in the legend of hope, the King left a letter behind to two members of his court; Donald Duck, the court wizard, and Goofy, captain of the royal knights, and ordered them to find the chosen wielder of the Keyblade, emphasising its importance, and that without it, all was doomed. Donald and Goofy, respecting and trusting their king's wishes, departed Disney Castle in their gummi ship, leaving for Traverse Town in search of a man named 'Leon'.

Elsewhere, a beautiful paradise existed called the Destiny Islands. And there lived three teenagers, Sora, Riku and Kairi, who day after day yearned to visit new worlds beyond their home. They asked each other the typical questions that adolescents do – about the outside world and their own existence. The three friends had decided to build a raft to try and set sail for worlds beyond. But all three of them were blissfully unaware of their true destiny.

Out of the three, it was Riku who wanted to get off the islands more than anyone else. His desire became an obsession and one fateful night, the night before they were to set sail, he visited the Secret Place and opened the door to the heart of his world. In doing so, Riku had destroyed the walls that shielded his islands and separated his home from the outside world. But what he had also done was unleash a terrible storm that started ravaging the Destiny Islands.

Sora, who had been having weird dreams of fighting strange creatures of the darkness, awoke on that stormy night. Making his way to the island, Sora quickly learned that his friends were there also. The creatures from his dreams (which Sora would later learn were called the Heartless) attacked the Destiny Islands and Sora, whose fighting skills were considerable having been gifted and practicing, was no match for them. Sora found Riku, who allowed the darkness to transport him to another world. Sora resisted, however, and soon found the Keyblade in his grasp. At long last, Sora was able to fight back. He laid waste to the Heartless Shadows and soon found Kairi at the Secret Place.

At that point, the door to darkness flung open and Kairi disappeared. With his home now on the brink of extinction, Sora battled the giant Heartless identified as a Darkside. Although Sora defeated the monster, he was unable to stop the inevitable from happening. The Destiny Islands fell to darkness, and Sora was sucked into the vortex.

It had begun.

END OF CHRONICLE

* * *

_Sora, Riku, Kairi…Mickey, Donald, Goofy…_

She didn't know them. She hadn't met any of them _ever_. But she _had_ heard the stories. People she loved…people who had looked after her had told her all the tales about them. The strength of their hearts, the measure of their valour and compassion…

They were the main characters of the story.

Everything revolved around _them_.

But there were _other_ players, ones who had important roles to fulfil. And who also had the power to shape life's events.

Leaving Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy with the choice to accept these changes or deny them.

And the power to fight to survive, for justice, peace and happiness.

The nameless teenager knew this. And she knew that she was one of the _other_ players, linked to the main cast somehow. Some_way_.

She decided to access the next document.

* * *

FROM SEARCH TO KINGDOM HEARTS.

Donald and Goofy arrived in Traverse Town to begin their search for their King and the Key. Sora, likewise, had arrived but Riku and Kairi were nowhere to be found. After regaining consciousness, the newly-appointed Keybearer once again came into conflict with the Heartless. Shortly after, Sora was found by Squall Leonhart (Leon) and Yuffie Kisaragi, who had lost their world to darkness, and ergo forced to flee to Traverse Town. They then proceeded to explain to Sora the secrets of the Heartless, the Keyblade and the other worlds out there. Donald and Goofy were also found and brought up-to-date on the situation by Leon and Yuffie's companion, Aerith Gainsborough.

Another Heartless attack united Sora, Donald and Goofy for the first time. In the town's Third District, the Keybearer and the King's followers battled and defeated a legion of Soldier Heartless and their leader; a Guard Armour. Sora, Donald and Goofy then introduced themselves to each other and cemented their new friendship. Leon, Yuffie and Aerith wished them good luck and saw them off. Sora, Donald and Goofy's mission was now clear; to find their friends.

But in time, they discovered that their quest would go _beyond_ that…

* * *

"Indeed it did," the unknown whispered to herself, nodding in further remembrance. She needn't bother reading the rest of the chronicle now. Because she'd heard the story before.

After the trio had departed from Traverse Town, they journeyed to many worlds, met new friends, battled Heartless…

And also waged war with new, insidious enemies.

Sora and friends learnt that the Heartless were after hearts, including those of the worlds. It was Sora's mission to not only fight the Heartless, but also to seal each of the worlds' Keyholes, prohibiting the creatures from taking them.

In time, Sora discovered that the Heartless were being controlled by a frighteningly powerful being. A sorceress called Maleficent, who wanted to conquer and enslave all worlds. Aside from being a much feared and formidable adversary, she was also very knowledgeable and intelligent. She had learnt of the Heartless, the power they offered and the ultimate source of power and knowledge. The source of all creation to be precise.

The door to darkness, the realm of Kingdom Hearts.

Taking over the ruins of Hollow Bastion (the original homeworld of Leon, Yuffie, Aerith and their comrades, Cid Highwind and Cloud Strife), Maleficent lead an alliance of villains and the Heartless to destroy countless worlds and to capture seven maidens of the purest heart. Collectively known as the Princesses of Heart. They were the key to revealing Hollow Bastion's keyhole, the pathway to Kingdom Hearts. They were the key to unlocking the door to darkness itself.

The unknown thought back to what she had learned of Maleficent.

The sorceress was also a great strategist. She had certainly chosen her allies well. Hades, god of the Underworld. Jafar, grand vizier of Agrabah and a powerful sorcerer in his own right. Ursula, devious sea witch of Atlantica. Captain Hook, a murderous and feared pirate of Neverland. And Oogie Boogie, a monstrous nightmare from Halloween Town and somewhat of an innovative, inventive genius.

Together, the inner circle had conquered much, captured the princesses and posed a tremendous threat. And even though it fell apart one-by-one thanks to Sora and his friends, Maleficent survived and stood tall, outlasting them all except Hades, who had taken off to pursue his own plans for domination after a fallout between the two.

Maleficent had even succeeded in recruiting Riku, manipulating his heart, turning it towards darkness and setting him against Sora. Maleficent had also known that Riku was the real Keyblade master all along. She had also known that Kairi was in fact one of the seven Princesses of Heart. Maleficent had played the game well, orchestrating the events so that she could claim Kingdom Hearts' power. If anyone could've taken over the heart of all worlds, it was her.

But despite all her knowledge, intelligence and power, Maleficent had overlooked two things which ultimately led to her downfall. One, for all her preaching of darkness, she had paid no attention to the same force eating away at her heart. And two, she was also unaware that she herself had been used by another, more evil, more knowledgeable and more powerful enemy.

Ansem, the seeker of darkness.

Ansem was a wise man who ruled Hollow Bastion. He was also a scientist, researching how the heart worked. His experiments had led to the creation of the Heartless and the ruination of his world. He sought out ultimate knowledge and darkness, and had orchestrated the whole affair. He had castaway his own body to enter the realm of darkness, used the power he had obtained to control his creations, manipulated Maleficent into doing all the work for him, and had used Sora, Riku and the Princesses of Heart into showing him the way to Kingdom Hearts.

Although Riku was the true Keyblade master, he had chosen darkness over light. Sora's strong heart and the power of all the friends he had made throughout his journey enabled him to win the Keyblade back. Sora, Donald and Goofy would go on to defeat both Riku and Maleficent, and it was then when Ansem had made his presence felt. He possessed Riku to gain more power and a body. He battled Sora and it was then that Sora learned the truth. When Kairi had disappeared off the Destiny Islands, her heart had retreated to Sora's. She had been with Sora all along. But in order for Kairi's body to awaken, Sora had to sacrifice his heart. Sora had turned into a Heartless but became human again shortly after when Kairi's feelings for Sora restored him.

Sora, Donald and Goofy then travelled to the End of the World, the home of the Heartless, made up of worlds taken by them. They confronted and defeated Ansem, ultimately destroying him. Donald and Goofy finally found their king, who was behind the door to darkness and wielding a Keyblade. Riku, long having seen the error of his ways at that point, was also behind the door. Together, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and the King closed Kingdom Hearts, and using the two Keyblades, were able to seal it. The King had promised that there would always be a door to the light for him and Riku to escape to. So after a painful goodbye, Sora, Donald and Goofy were separated once more from their friends. The worlds were restored, peace had returned, and all went back home to where they came from.

Well, all except Sora, Donald and Goofy, who still had their quest to finish. They had to find their friends.

The enigmatic girl sat back in her chair, pondering what else there was to learn. _Yes…that was how their first adventure concluded. But their was still many a loose end._

Ansem and Maleficent were deceased. Along with Ursula and Oogie Boogie. The fate of Jafar and Captain Hook was unknown. Although defeated, it was possible that they were still alive. Hades was definitely alive. He had been using the Olympus Coliseum to host the Hades Cup to attempt to destroy Sora and the demy-god Hercules. And even though that scheme had ended in failure, Hades still survived and still had control of the Heartless.

There were also other matters. Mysterious ones. During a visit to Hollow Bastion, Sora and friends had battled an enigmatic man, hooded and dressed in black. He was exceptionally powerful, safely in Ansem's league. His presence had raised a whole lot of questions that had gone unanswered.

And then there were other issues. Such as why the nameless adolescent felt that two years after Ansem's defeat…she had lost her life. And that she had been used as a way to torture someone close to her.

The unknown teenager evaluated what she had remembered and learned from the files. Sora, Donald and Goofy were in another world now, looking for their friends. The enigmatic man was still at large. And the Heartless still roamed. The chronicle titled 'From Search to Kingdom Hearts' was dated a year old. The nameless girl strongly doubted that things were still the same now as they were twelve months ago. But before she decided to learn what had happened next, she decided to study the file labelled 'Nobodies'.

Those mysterious white creatures that had pursued her, they were _not_ Heartless. She had gone over the entire Heartless database and had found no file matching the description of her hunters. But Nobodies…that was something she had never heard of before. As soon as she heard a name of something, it all came flooding back. But…with the name Nobody, there was nothing. No one had ever told her stories about any Nobodies.

She studied the first entry in the Nobody database. There it was. The creatures that had attacked her. The file she was reading now was that of a Dusk, the most common form of Nobody. They possessed frightening agility and flexibility. But there were other Nobodies, all different and with unique powers of their own.

The enigmatic girl read the basic summary of the Nobody database.

'_When a strong-hearted person, be they good or evil, becomes a Heartless, the body the heart leaves behind begins to act with a will of its own. The body is driven by the soul that is left. The result of this process is a creature called a Nobody, a mere shell that does not truly exist at all. Unlike the Heartless, who ally with whoever's the strongest, Nobodies are only under the complete control of Organization XIII."_

Organization XIII didn't ring any bells. She certainly hadn't heard of _them_. But why would they send Dusks after her? She hadn't met these people before either.

_Another force…one that may not be as vast as the Heartless but still threatening regardless. A third force…nothing, in fact, that begrudges both light and dark._

She accessed the database on the Organization. As the name implied, it consisted of thirteen members. Yet there wasn't anything listed here on what their objective was or what they were exactly.

But it was irrelevant for the moment. Someone had clearly been busy. Of the thirteen members that made up the Organization, only seven were confirmed as active. Five were deceased and the remaining one was missing.

The teenager found that she couldn't access any of their individual files. Had the computer finally detected her as an unauthorised user? Was it trying to stop her?

She thought of the possibility that the files weren't uploaded yet, but that didn't make any sense. Why upload so much about the universe and leave _this_ out of the database?

The nameless girl looked at the list of Organization members.

_1. Xemnas, The Superior. (Active)_

_2. Xigbar, The Freeshooter (Active)_

_3. Xaldin, The Whirlwind Lancer (Active)_

_4. Vexen, The Chilly Academic (Deceased)_

_5. Lexaeus, The Silent Hero (Deceased)_

_6. Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer (Deceased)_

_7. Saïx, The Luna Diviner (Active)_

_8. Axel, The Flurry of Dancing Flames (Active)_

_9. Demyx, The Melodious Nocturne (Active)_

_10. Luxord, The Gambler of Fate (Active)_

_11. Marluxia, The Graceful Assassin (Deceased)_

_12. Larxene, The Savage Nymph (Deceased)_

_13. Roxas, The Key of Destiny (Missing)_

They all sounded formidable. The nameless teenager found it a shame that she couldn't know more about them individually. She tried accessing their individual files again but to no avail. But she then saw an image of one of them, hooded and dressed in a black rain coat.

_Just like that powerful enigmatic man that Sora had battled at Hollow Bastion! If there're THIRTEEN of them…!_

She calmed herself. It was _seven_ now, possibly eight, depending on whether or not this 'Roxas' was still alive.

Although there was still nothing that could be found here about their objective and how they could control these Nobodies, the unauthorized user theorised that maybe she could learn more about this Organization XIII from the next chronicle. She exited the database and went back to the 'Chronicles' section. After 'From Search to Kingdom Hearts', the next chronicle in line was titled 'Second Rise of the Source'.

_Now,_ the nameless adolescent thought, _tell me what I DON'T know.

* * *

_

SECOND RISE OF THE SOURCE.

When the world came to light, darkness was created naturally as an opposite to counter-balance. To ensure the world's survival. The darkness immediately gained sentience after its birth and, having judged light to be the inferior force, declared war. It ravaged countless worlds, forcing people to submit to its will. The light defended itself valiantly but ultimately had to surrender to the inevitable. The source of all darkness had conquered everyone and everything. Upon its victory, the source crowned itself emperor, put darkness in everyone's hearts, declared itself the 'superior of all' and took the name 'Sharak'.

Sharak ruled this age of tyranny and despair for aeons but all tyrants must come to their end. The light rose again and countless armies of heroes challenged the ruthless god. To eliminate the light once and for all, Sharak spawned the very first generation of Heartless to oppose his enemies. The following battle was one of a titanic scale. Many lives were lost but the light triumphed.

Not all of the light had faded during Sharak's conquest. There was some light that he could not consume, so he sealed it behind a door and stowed it inside himself, using all his darkness to keep it shut. But Sharak had become too cautious, forgetting that the light always shines through in the deepest darkness. The door to light opened and Sharak, the Heartless and darkness itself was eliminated.

In the age of peace that followed, all had forgotten about the darkness, blissfully happy in the light. But unknown to the world, a small trace of darkness still remained. It was undetectable and indestructible. This was all that was left of Sharak, who for tens of thousands of years, lay comatose. And one day, people began fighting over the light, everyone wanted to keep it for themselves. The animosity awakened the source of all darkness and he immediately began putting darkness back in people's hearts, and started consuming others. Eventually, Sharak had regenerated himself but only up to the point where he had to adopt a humanoid form in order to survive.

Shortly after his rebirth, Sharak set his goals. Revenge on the descendants of those who had vanquished him and reclamation of all worlds. Although only a fraction of what he had once been, Sharak nonetheless re-emerged as an ungodly powerful threat. He awoke to discover that Ansem had resurrected the Heartless and was after Kingdom Hearts. Finding the situation interesting, Sharak allowed Ansem (and Maleficent) to proceed, thinking of it as a back-up plan in case Sharak himself would ultimately fall.

During a Heartless invasion of the world called Castle Mahanah, Sharak killed its powerful ruler, a wise man called Mahanah, in combat and took his world for his own. And at the same time, tormented his surviving children, Jaron and Adam, and exiling them to Traverse Town.

Renaming the world 'Castle Sharak', the source of all darkness gathered his strength and his forces, planning anew and identifying his enemies and possible allies. After reclaiming the majority of his knowledge, he decided on what he should do. Sharak learned of the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Accepting they were a threat that would interfere with his agenda, Sharak journeyed to their stronghold and killed a handful of their strongest members, crippling the Organization as a means to 'send a message'. He also attacked the Council of Light, a society that was responsible for keeping the worlds separate and ensuring peace. Sharak destroyed the council and again attacked Jaron and Adam, who had grown to become formidable teenage soldiers of the Council. Adam suffered amnesia and was exiled once again to another world. Jaron (who the Council had appointed 'The Saviour') was forced to retreat, appointed with the task, of finding Sora, Donald and Goofy and aiding them in their quest to destroy Sharak once and for all.

Two years after Ansem's defeat, Sora and friends came into conflict with Sharak and found themselves outmatched by the more powerful monster. Jaron arrived in time to save them and briefed them on Sharak's history. Using his powers, Sharak was able to resurrect Maleficent, Ursula and Oogie Boogie and reunite them with Jafar, Hades and Captain Hook to form the Council of Darkness, along with the great swordsman Sephiroth. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jaron travelled to other worlds, fighting Heartless as they went, and building an army of their own, consisting of the greatest heroes of the world.

In time, Jaron's hatred for Sharak turned into an all-consuming desire for vengeance. It wasn't long before Sora and the others learned the full extent of what Sharak had done to the Saviour, and as a result, the Saviour travelled to Castle Sharak alone to confront the emperor. Jaron was defeated, enslaved and used as a means to torment Sora.

Sharak's forces eventually invaded Hollow Bastion, resulting in a terrifying battle. The creature had captured the Seven Princesses of Heart (including Kairi), and with Maleficent, Jafar, Hades and Ursula to help him, Sharak was able to reopen the sealed Keyhole. Sora, Donald and Goofy (along with Adam who had regained his memory) confronted Sharak again. In the altercation that followed, Sora was finally able to do the impossible and defeat the creature by himself. The defeat drove Sharak completely insane but Sora was unable to stop him from taking the darkness from Hollow Bastion's keyhole. At that point, Sharak had remembered the door to light inside him. Having always fought of himself as pure, unmatched darkness, the revelation drove Sharak even further into madness and fuelled his power, making him deadlier than ever. Sora would've lost his life then and there if not for the sacrifice of the Saviour, who had resisted Sharak's control to save the life of the boy who he deemed the best friend he ever had.

Sora and all of his friends then travelled to Castle Sharak, where the monster revealed to them that long ago, he had put part of his darkness into Kingdom Hearts as a means to further his dominion over the world. Sharak reopened Kingdom Hearts and reclaimed his power but his insanity had reached its peak and was thus unable to utilise all of his power. In the upcoming battle, Sora and friends were finally reunited with Riku and King Mickey, and together they finally destroyed Sharak, his allies and the Heartless, completely and unquestionably erasing darkness in all its forms from the universe.

Sora, Riku and Kairi were finally reunited. Peace returned to all worlds and all lived happily ever after.

END OF CHRONICLE

* * *

The nameless girl's eyes widened, she started to hyperventilate and the tears started to fall.

_No…PLEASE. NOT HIM. ANYONE BUT HIM._

She remembered the monster. Unlike Sora and _his_ friends and enemies, she knew Sharak personally. She knew of his cruelty…his deep and unmatched malice…his crazed desire to enslave life itself, coupled with his ungodly power…

Only a fool would never fear Sharak.

Jaron the Saviour and Adam…sons of Mahanah…

It came back to her.

She was _friends _with both of them. She had spent so many days laughing with them, playing with them…doing all she possibly could to try and rebuild their damaged hearts.

But Sharak would not relent. He would _never_ relent until he had won.

And the Council of Light…they were her guardians. They had found her and given her a home and care. And shortly after that, she had met Jaron and Adam, finding that they had a lot in common and befriending them.

And then…

And then…

_Why can't I remember what happened next?!_ she seethed in despair, lowering her head in frustration. She then remembered where she was and quickly wiped away her tears, calming herself and noting not to draw too much attention to herself.

This chronicle didn't make any sense. If everyone was living happily ever after, why was she being pursued by Organization XIII? Hadn't Sharak dealt with them? The teenager also noted that the chronicle was dated a year that hadn't even _happened_ yet.

The user concluded that the events of 'Second Rise of the Source' were unofficial, and therefore a contradiction in the story, an anomaly that was not supposed to have happened yet did regardless.

Needless to say, that confused her greatly. It didn't make sense, and it frightened her further. It justified the theory, the _possibility_ that she herself wasn't supposed to exist. Along with all this other madness.

She rested her mouth against her fist and looked at the screen long and hard. There were two more chronicles left.

Maybe they had the answers.

_Maybe_.

* * *

CASTLE OBLIVION.

For an unknown length of time, there has existed a human called Terron. At best, he could be classed as a walking impossibility. He was a great and powerful anomaly, with the talents to use both light and dark in _any_ way, essentially turning imagination into reality.

The Council of Light found him, placed him under their protection and charged him with the burden of peacekeeper. It was Terron's responsibility to ensure that war never broke out between the worlds. Very few people knew of Terron's existence, knowing what it would mean if the wrong people enslaved Terron.

Although Terron was by all rights, a fine, noble and honourable man, his powers grew unstable and unreliable. His time was coming, and he himself knew it. The Council of Light could only remove him from his duties and lock him away. The only thing that could be done was to allow Terron's powers to consume him, so he would no longer be a threat to anyone.

But when Sharak destroyed the council, Terron fled deep into anonymity to avoid falling into the wrong hands. For a long time, the anomaly remained hidden. Unfortunately, after Sharak had been vanquished along with all darkness, all reality started to fold in on itself. King Mickey did all he could to stop the impending doom but it was only delaying the inevitable. Hypothesising that _everything_ needs _both_ darkness and light to survive, the only thing that could be done was to bring the darkness back.

The King found Terron and the two agreed and planned to reverse time to the point where Ansem had been defeated. That way, darkness and light could exist again. Knowing that this would only work once, that Sharak would be reborn as a result and that many ramifications would follow, Mickey promised that he, Sora, Donald and Goofy and their friends would ensure that things would not get out of hand again.

After hours of careful planning, Mickey contacted Sora, Riku and Kairi to let them know what was happening. But before they could put their plan into action, Mickey and Terron were attacked.

Axel (No. 8 of the Organization) rendered the King unconscious and kidnapped Terron. The anomaly was brought to Castle Oblivion, an Organization outpost. The members who had survived Sharak's attack regrouped there and had also learned of the impending apocalypse the world was facing. Organization XIII explained to Terron that they not only wanted him to reverse time back to the point where Ansem had been defeated, but also to ensure it so that Adam (one of Mahanah's sons) would remain as he had been following Sharak's defeat. Vexen (No. 4 of the Organization) had sensed something special about him and therefore planned to shape him (using his science and Terron's power) into another anomaly, so he could be used as a counter-measure against Sharak. Knowing that he had no choice, Terron reluctantly complied with the Organization's demands.

Following Sharak's defeat, Adam had come to rise as the ruler of Castle Mahanah. He had married and had a child. And for a year, Adam had maintained peace and happiness as a good and respected ruler. But his happiness was shattered once again. The Nobodies attacked Castle Mahanah and Adam was defeated by Larxene (The Organization's No. 12). Adam could only watch his life being undone, along with Sharak's meddling.

Time had successfully been reversed to the point of Ansem's defeat. Sharak was reborn, no longer having control over the Heartless. Because of his destruction at Sora's hand, he has now been cursed with a great light that dwells inside him, exploding at random times, ravaging his being. While trying to search for a cure for his condition, Sharak journeyed to Castle Oblivion to observe the events that would follow, as well as seek out Terron.

Adam awoke from his exile in the halls of the castle, and soon remembered what had happened. The experience that followed resulted in a psychological and violent fight with Larxene, in which Adam triumphed and evolved into his new form. Terron locked his heart to make Adam perfectly balanced between light and dark, gaining frightening new powers as a result. Vexen's experiment had succeeded. Adam was taken to both Xemnas (the Organization's leader) and then the enigmatic outsider known as DiZ. Adam learned the truth behind what had happened, including the temporary truce between DiZ and the Organization. Adam left Castle Oblivion shortly after, embarking on the twilit road to nightfall. His objectives are currently twofold; to maintain the natural order of events, and find Sharak and destroy him properly. Knowing that his past life has been erased, Adam has now called himself 'Hi-Jax', as a means to distance himself from that he considers to be 'no more'.

Shortly after Hi-Jax's departure, Sora, Donald and Goofy arrived, and Riku soon followed. Both parties went through different ordeals. Sora and his friends arrived to continue their search for Riku and the King. Sora was targeted by Marluxia (No. 11), who had been appointed by Xemnas as keeper of the castle. Using Naminé (a young witch with power over Sora's memories and those around him), Marluxia, Larxene and Axel plotted to rewrite Sora's memories in a way that would give them total control over the Keyblade master, so they could take over the Organization together. Knowing of the conspiracy, Vexen, Lexaeus (No. 5) and Zexion (No. 6) plotted to use Riku to oppose the renegades' plans.

Riku was plagued by his fears of darkness and the guilt of his past sins. He was also suffering because Ansem had survived by escaping into Riku's heart. During his ordeal, Riku was forced to confront Ansem, his fears of darkness, his past, and the Organization, as well as an exact replica of himself that Vexen had created using Riku's data.

The more Sora, Donald and Goofy progressed through Castle Oblivion, the more memories they lost. Vexen, in an attempt to thwart Marluxia's plans, almost revealed the truth to Sora but was terminated by Axel.

Riku battled and destroyed Lexaeus in an extremely hard-fought contest, but afterwards nearly fell prey to Ansem's power. Only the King's light was able to save him on that occasion. Meanwhile, Sora had become obsessed with Naminé, and had come to blows with the Riku Replica (who was also being used as a pawn) because of it. Axel had betrayed Marluxia and Larxene by allowing Naminé to reveal the truth. Sora, Donald and Goofy destroyed Larxene and learned the story behind Marluxia's scheme. Running off to finish things, Axel (who had now revealed himself as a double agent assigned to investigate the conspiracy) prepared to terminate Marluxia for his betrayal. Marluxia had taken Naminé hostage, however, and was able to cause a diversion while he escaped, leaving Sora to battle Axel.

Axel was defeated but had faked his death to convince Sora otherwise. Shortly afterwards, he regrouped with Zexion where they plotted to dispose of Riku, seeing no need for him anymore.

Marluxia was finally destroyed by Sora and Naminé was saved. The Keybearer then sealed Castle Oblivion's keyhole and went to sleep along with Donald and Goofy, as a means to regain the memories they had lost at the expense of losing their memories of the castle. Naminé began overseeing the process, seeing it as her turn to help Sora. Shortly after Marluxia's death, Zexion went after Riku, tormenting him over his sins. Riku was nearly destroyed but was saved at the last minute by Naminé (who was pretending to be Kairi). Riku's fears were erased, the past was put behind him, and he was able to master the darkness effortlessly, essentially turning it into his greatest weapon. Zexion only just managed to escape from Riku but his reprieve was short-lived. Axel turned on him using the Riku Replica, who assimilated Zexion.

Riku nearly fell prey to Ansem again, but the arrival of King Mickey saved him. The King had at last been able to escape from the realm of darkness and had finally caught-up with Riku. Shortly after, Riku met with DiZ, who had secretly helped Riku escape from the dark realm and guided the former Keybearer throughout the castle. Riku then engaged his replica in battle and destroyed it. He then met Naminé, who explained to him about what had happened to Sora. After being reunited with the King and DiZ, Riku confronted Ansem and defeated him.

Riku and Mickey then left Castle Oblivion, embarking on the twilit road to dawn. Terron and Naminé, now freed from the Organization's control, had managed to avoid Sharak finding them. Now desperate and living on borrowed time, the creature went after Riku, hypothesising that because of his unique mastery over light and dark, he could learn his secrets and be able to cure his condition. Sharak's attempts at bargaining were thwarted. He was forced to flee, and Riku, having now remembered the events of Sharak, learned of Terron and continued his journey with the King.

Sharak returned to Castle Oblivion, gambling on Terron being his only chance for survival. Now dying because of what he was, Terron couldn't stop Sharak from trying to assimilate him. The process both succeeded and failed. Sharak was able to save his own life, but still remained plagued by his light that would ravage his being at random times. Although hindered even further, Sharak had been able to use Terron's power to see visions of the future. How Sharak will use this to his advantage remains to be seen. Since then, he has set his sights on finding either Riku or Hi-Jax to assimilate their data to cure himself. His other plans include vengeance on the surviving members of Organization XIII and Sora, as well as reclamation of Kingdom Hearts.

Because of the reversal of time, Jaron has also returned to life. He was briefed on the events by Terron, who gave the Saviour visions of his own as a means to combat Sharak. Terron passed away into nothingness, leaving the Saviour and Naminé with the task of protecting Sora while his memory is being restored.

Hoping to use Sora for his own purposes as a trump card, Sharak (in a last-ditch effort) attacked the castle again and invaded his heart. Naminé and Jaron were able to repel the monster by convincing Sora (in his dream state) to fight back, thus expelling Sharak from his heart.

Sharak's whereabouts are currently unknown, but shortly after the event, DiZ, who has supposedly taken Naminé under his wing, strongly advised her to transport Sora, Donald and Goofy to a world called Twilight Town. Jaron seconded the notion, given Sharak's constant attacks and the fact that the Organization still had dominion over Castle Oblivion. Naminé consented and Sora and the others were soon transported to DiZ's mansion. The Saviour, choosing to trust DiZ, has allied with him.

END OF CHRONICLE.

* * *

The nameless girl breathed in deep.

She had gone over the events of Castle Oblivion _four_ times now. And she _thought_ she had got it all now. Not very easy to do given the depth and complexity of this chronicle. She was surprised she hadn't gone insane because of the events.

_Right…so everything's up to date now. Sora's sleeping, Sharak and the Organization are planning anew, Riku and the King are doing their thing, Adam…I mean, Hi-Jax is preparing himself for war, along with the Saviour…I assume Kairi's still on the Destiny Islands._

Jaron, Hi-Jax and Sharak were outcasts of a timeline that had been erased. That much was certain. Whoever the nameless girl was, she knew that she _must_ be like them.

An exile…an anomaly…part of a world that had never been.

So _now_ she knew _what_ she was.

And that was something. It was a start.

And now it was time to find out _who_ she was.

She was about to get up and leave when her eyes locked on the last chronicle.

'The Betrayal of Roxas'.

_That's a point_, she realised. _There were several of these people who weren't anywhere near Castle Oblivion at the time of all those happenings. So there should be eight survivors left at their main stronghold. So why is this Roxas missing? What's happened to him? What did he do?_

Was there really a need to know about this? She had learnt all the essential stuff. Now she had to decide what to do next. Such as find out what other ramifications the reversal of time had done. Was the Council of Light alive again too? Did Castle Mahanah still exist? That was what she wanted and needed to know more than anything.

The unknown thought about it long and hard. The Organization was _still_ after _her_. Maybe Roxas could actually help her?

_Asking one of these sociopaths for HELP?! They've betrayed, fought, plotted and killed one another! I HAVE gone insane! Still…why has the lowest ranking member got an article focusing on HIM? He must be different somehow._

She shrugged and accessed the final document.

* * *

THE BETRAYAL OF ROXAS.

When Sora journeyed to Hollow Bastion to rescue Kairi and sacrificed his heart to wake her up, he turned into a Heartless. Because he had such a strong heart, his Nobody was born.

The Nobody was born in Twilight Town and found by Xemnas, who had learned that the boy could use the Keyblade because he was Sora's Nobody. The Superior gave him the name Roxas and recruited him.

Because of Sora's short time as a Heartless, Roxas' memories of his original life…

* * *

ANOMALY DETECTED!

UNAUTHORISED USER HAS GAINED ILLEGAL ACCESS TO THIS DATABASE!  
INTRUDER ALERT!

INTIATING EMERGENCY SYSTEM OVERRIDE.

TRACING HACKER SIGNAL TO SOURCE OF ORIGIN.

The girl's eyes widened in horror. They were coming for her.

A message appeared on the screen, commanding her to flee. Choosing to take her anonymous helper's advice, she got up out of her chair and quickly left the café, remembering to thank the benevolent staff once again while doing so.

She ran to the centre of the First District, knowing that she didn't have time to concentrate on what she had learnt about Roxas.

She skidded to a halt when the legion of Dusks materialised before her.

The townsfolk fled screaming. The girl's shock soon faded when she remembered that she wasn't helpless. As the Dusks danced around her in formation, preparing to strike, she summoned her sai daggers as her face became one of grim determination.

The Dusks stopped moving.

They then shuddered violently, and pounced for her.

"I can't die yet," she declared. "I _won't_."

And then everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Seeds of Dissension

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 2: Seeds of Dissension _**

_Yes, Riku_, observed Sharak from the building's rooftop. _Crush him. Do my work._

The blindfolded Riku and the rogue Roxas had dispatched the monster's Neo-Shadows together, and now they were locked in combat, exchanging spectacular blows with their Keyblades.

It was how Sharak had envisioned the moment. It was how he had anticipated and prepared for it.

It was how he had helped arrange the confrontation.

_Sound planning on your part, DiZ_, Sharak remarked secretly. _Taking the Keyblade away from the Organization's possession, reviving Sora as the best means to destroy them…and then leaving me with a bonus prize. I mean, technically…you won't really be needing Riku anymore afterwards, will you?_

Riku swung the Oblivion at Roxas, who blocked it with his Oathkeeper, and knocked Riku to the ground.

This made Sharak anxious.

"Why?!" Riku demanded angrily. "Why do you have the Keyblade?!"

The question infuriated the traitor. Why did he have the Keyblade? He desperately wanted to know yet he didn't. The Organization refused to tell him. And Roxas knew that they never would have done.

Why did he have the Keyblade? That question had tormented him for too long. And as a result, it was a question he had become sick of asking and hearing.

"Shut up!" yelled Roxas as he brought his Keyblade down to slash Riku. Sharak's eyes widened in shock. Riku couldn't die! Not yet!

The blindfolded Keybearer got his Oblivion up just in time. He knocked Roxas for six across the square. Riku stood up and walked towards No. 13 of the Organization, who now lay comatose on the ground.

Sharak's eyes blared and narrowed evilly as he seethed in relief.

_That was too close. The amnesiac idiot is better than I'd anticipated. He…no. He's feigning! Riku, you little fool! Be on your guard! Finish him! He…!_

Sharak then realised he was not alone. He looked to his side to see another man, hooded and dressed in black, wielding long ninja swords.

"DiZ takes _all_ things into consideration, doesn't he?" remarked Sharak sinisterly, as a bright aura began to emit around his body. Their surroundings on the rooftop became pitch black and the man in the black coat could only see himself and Sharak's ominous form.

Light shining around darkness in an unholy, unnatural way.

As the two opponents locked horns.

* * *

"It is I…Ansem! Lead me into everlasting darkness!"

The possessed Riku raised his Keyblade high to strike Sora. The blow came down to release Kairi's heart.

"Sora!"

The Keybearer heard Kairi's voice and drew out his own Keyblade just in time to block the blow.

"Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"

Sora released Kairi's heart. Kairi restored Sora's own heart after he had turned into a Heartless.

"Kairi."

Sora saw Kairi's face. She was smiling warmly at him.

…

"So we meet at last, Keyblade master," mused the creature, speaking in a voice that sounded as though it was more than one person talking.

Sora and the others gasped.

"It talks?!" yelled Donald.

"A great deal better than you do, feathered one," taunted the entity.

"Who…what are you?!" asked a shocked Sora.

"Your worst nightmare, boy," replied the creature as it reverted into the humanoid form of Sharak, "And more. So much more."

"Do you truly believe that circus clowns like you and Donald, and a simple minded brat like Sora can halt me?"

"I am the source of all darkness! The darkness that exists in everyone's hearts is there because I put it there!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy turned around to see the outsider standing before them. Sora sat up off the bed he'd been sleeping on and stood alongside his friends, as the three of them looked at the ninja perplexingly.

"How are you all feeling?" he asked.

"Uh, fine thanks," responded Sora.

"Yeah, me too," said Donald.

"I'm okay," said Goofy.

"My name is Jaron," introduced the stranger, "I am the current holder of a mantle that has been passed down through countless generations. The mantle of the Saviour."

"You're the one King Mickey told us to find?" asked Goofy.

"I take it you received his letter shortly after Ansem's death."

"So that creature we fought created the original Heartless? Who…what is he?"

"That inhuman, sadistic monstrosity? That would be Sharak."

"Sharak?"

Sharak's eyes blared evilly at Sora as his face flashed before him.

* * *

Roxas gasped as he shot up in his bed.

"Who…?"

He looked out of his window, it was still dark. He checked his clock. It was two 'o' clock in the _morning_. The Struggle competition was hours away. Logic dictated that he should go back to sleep. It's what his body was screaming for.

Roxas sighed. He really didn't want to experience another of these weird happenings. Not when they had messed up his planned trip to the beach with his friends. In the process giving Hayner, Pence and Olette the wrong impression. First there was that guy in the black coat who had robbed him of the munny needed to go to the beach in the first place. The others hadn't seen him and assumed Roxas had lost the money when he 'tripped' on the way to the station. Then those white things had attacked him again, the town had mysteriously frozen, Roxas next found himself in a spooky dimension fighting with a 'Keyblade' and he had met a mysterious blonde girl calling herself 'Naminé'.

And after all of that, Roxas had missed the trip to the beach _again_. And Hayner and the others assumed that Roxas had chosen to hang out with Seifer's gang instead.

Roxas' attention soon shifted back to the dreams. Why was he having these dreams about Sora, Donald and Goofy? And how come, all of a sudden, this…creature had just popped up in his head out of nowhere? This was new and unlike anything he'd ever dreamt of before.

_Roxas…_

The mention of his name made the teenager jump in surprise. The voice…_voices_ in his head wasn't his own. Someone was communicating with him.

_ROXAS…_the echoic voice seethed impatiently. The blonde-haired kid narrowed his eyes, got out of his bed, walked over to the window and looked out of it.

_If you want to know what's going on,_ the voice offered, _meet me at Sunset Hill. NOW._

"Who are you?" Roxas whispered to himself. But no response came.

The Keybearer was tired. He would be out of his mind to go to Sunset Hill at this hour. Especially with the competition only hours away.

Roxas sighed.

_Aw, to heck with it!

* * *

_

DiZ's Mansion, the basement underneath the library.

In the Computer Room, the hooded Ansem was sitting at the desk, frantically typing away at the keys. DiZ entered the room, clearly concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"We've been hacked again," explained Ansem. "I don't know who it is."

DiZ approached the computer and waved his hand dismissively. Ansem sat up off the seat, allowing DiZ to take his place. The masked man began searching all the files stored on the computer.

"The files haven't been touched this time," Ansem continued.

"Has anyone infiltrated the town?" DiZ demanded to know.

"Yes. An attack force. Of Heartless."

DiZ's eyes narrowed in contempt.

"So it _was_ Sharak, after all."

"But how had he gained the resources to hack into our mainframe? And why would he want information he already knows?"

"Obviously, he's recruited some form of amateurish assistance to help him. It would explain why the intruder couldn't access everything. And why the defences eventually detected him or her. The data was being transferred to Traverse Town, don't forget. Meaning that Sharak was _helping_ someone."

"He's after Roxas," Ansem stated. "He wants to control Sora like Marluxia tried to."

"Breaking Roxas' spirit will certainly allow him to do so when he merges with Sora," seethed DiZ. "The mindless dinosaur. He'll _never_ know when to stop."

DiZ began searching the town's network, trying to pinpoint the locations of Roxas and Sharak. The message 'Data Error' was displayed.

"The hacker's shielded them both," DiZ remarked. If he was impressed, he didn't show it. "It'll take a while to sort this mess out."

"There could be another problem," Ansem warned. "The system's defences were neutralised almost instantly upon intrusion. And…_he_…decided Roxas had to be protected."

DiZ swung round in his chair to face Ansem. Then he turned to note that the machine used to enter the digital Twilight Town had been activated. His eyes narrowed furiously.

"The little fool…"

* * *

It was a cool, still night in Twilight Town. No one was out at this time. Part of Roxas felt glad to be alone. No one to disturb his thoughts, the perfect supply of privacy, a nice walk through this beautiful little town, a great view everywhere he turned…

_What am I doing out here?_ Roxas thought, shaking his head. There was no reason whatsoever to go to Sunset Hill at this time in the morning on a _whim_. That's all it was, really. There was no guarantee that he'd get all the answers he wanted to the strange happenings. This was just a waste of time.

So why wasn't he turning back?

Why was he now standing all alone at the top of Sunset Hill?

Had he now lost control of his life?

Roxas looked all around him. There was no one here but him.

"Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there?"

Nothing but silence.

Roxas sighed, shook his head, and turned for home.

"I'm an idiot," he cursed himself, looking down on the ground, hands in pockets. Before he could reach the path that led down to Sunset Terrace, a Neo-Shadow rose slowly out of the ground, cutting him off. It made him jump back with fright. As soon as the teenager regained his composure, Roxas' eyes narrowed at the twitching Heartless, whose yellow eyes locked onto his.

Roxas looked around him to see several more Neo-Shadows surrounding him. He sneered at the creatures, then looked at his right hand, flexing it.

"Come on…come on!"

After a few seconds delay, the Keyblade appeared in his hand. Just in time to destroy the Neo-Shadow that decided to pounce on him.

Three other Neo-Shadows 'flattened' themselves and quickly advanced towards Roxas. The Keybearer struck the ground in an attempt to destroy them, but he soon realised that the Neo-Shadows were completely immune to all attacks in this form. Two more leapt up into the air to pounce on him, only to be torn apart as he somersaulted high into the air, magnificently swinging his weapon left and right.

As Roxas landed on his feet, he span round, and threw the Keyblade at three more Neo-Shadows that were coming at him from behind. After they were destroyed, the boomeranging Keyblade returned to Roxas, who perfectly caught the spinning weapon by the hilt, and turned again to block a claw-strike from another Heartless.

More Neo-Shadows rose from the ground only to be cut down by the Keybearer. Roxas then dodge-rolled behind two more Heartless and destroyed them. Three more Neo-Shadows crawled on ground-level to get near Roxas. They rose, slowly and eerily, behind him. Roxas seemingly had no idea that they were going to grab him.

_Seemingly_.

He span round at the last second, Keyblade outstretched, sending the Heartless to oblivion like they weren't even there.

Roxas paused to catch his breath before standing upright. Keyblade still in hand, he looked around him to see that he was once again all alone on the cool, still early morning.

All of Traverse Town was once again so silent.

Making it even more vulnerable than before.

"Impressive," remarked the echoic voice, again sounding as though more than one person was speaking. "Truly."

The voice startled Roxas greatly. He jumped with fright, then looked all around him to see where the voice was coming from.

"But then…what else can be expected from one who wields the Keyblade? Even if the chosen one is only the pretender to the throne?"

Roxas noted that the voice's owner had said that last part with a certain degree of disgust. Meaning that he had unfavourable intentions.

"Where are you?" asked the Keybearer.

"Everywhere, Roxas. I am simply everywhere."

The newcomer teleported in front of the blonde-haired kid. Roxas could only stare at the figure in bewilderment and terror.

The figure was seven foot tall. It wore a cloak, comprised of pure darkness, which covered its body and resembled thick, hazy, black smoke. Its entire body was the same shape and build of a fully-grown man with nothing but solid muscle, coloured in a shade of black that was just as dark as night itself. It had point-blank eyes that were blood red and glowing brighter by the second. Its head was human shaped but its face was obscured by something that _looked_ like a mask, which could only be described as a sort of arrowhead shape pointing downwards. As for a mouth, it didn't even have one. The darkness looked very bizarre but at the same time, looked as though it could destroy anything that dared to oppose it.

There was a momentary silence. Sharak tilted his head to one side, looking deep into Roxas' confused and scared eyes.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the creature asked rhetorically. "Not surprising, really. Given what's happened. Very few remember me and what once was. Very few people _will_."

"Who are you?" asked Roxas, starting to back away.

"Are you frightened of me?" Sharak sinisterly asked as he advanced slowly towards the Keybearer. "Stupid boy. You're not frightened of anything. None of your kind is. Though you all should be. You all know I am superior, yet your arrogance prevents you from accepting that. While you usurp my darkness for your own ends, actually believing that you can be rid of me with your childish games!"

"What are you talking about?!" Roxas felt like running away, and was turning for the path that led to Sunset Terrace when he saw a barrier block his path.

"Why are you running, Roxas?" asked Sharak, doing all he could to put every ounce of sadistic pleasure into his voice. "Don't you want to know the truth about who you really are? _What _you really are? Truth is not designed to be beautiful and comforting, remember. It's harsh, brutal, remorseless…and it _hurts_. _Always_."

Roxas stopped backing away, stood his ground and narrowed his eyes, starting to rebuild his courage.

"You…you must think you can psych me out by saying really random stuff!"

Sharak just tilted his head back and let loose an amused laugh.

"I already know that I can break you…_and_ kill you. I've destroyed you _twice_…Sora."

That made Roxas' eyes widen.

"Wh-what…?"

"Just how you reacted _before_," noted the creature. "Before you lost your half. And then that half became original again. Leaving you to forget that you were once him. And you still haven't been able to remember, have you? The Organization never gave you the answers, did they? Probably because they saw you as a tool and nothing more. For once, they were quite right. You _are_ a tool, Roxas. A broken fraud that is beyond help."

Sharak advanced slowly and menacingly towards the Keybearer, revelling in his taunting.

"Naminé believes different, though…doesn't she? She would…the little cow. Another nuisance that defies logic, comprehension and me. I cannot believe that after how intimately you and I know each other, you've forgotten how I destroyed you. How after I came back, I had _completely_ forgotten you. But then, Naminé has that affect on people, doesn't she? It was partly my fault; allowing myself to fall prey to the psychic manipulations of a primitive weapon such as…"

Roxas had had enough. He didn't care how this…thing knew about his meeting with Naminé. Or why he had just called him 'Sora'. All that mattered was that he had had enough of this rambling.

Which is why he threw the Keyblade for Sharak's face.

Sharak stopped his rant as he caught the blade only inches before it could connect. His reflexes made Roxas' anger turn into fleeting shock. His anger then resumed as Sharak studied the weapon now in his grasp. Sharak's eyes narrowed in frustration as he thought back to how his downfalls had been spelled by this weapon.

"The Keyblade and its wielder have destroyed me on numerous occasions…just as I have destroyed them on numerous occasions. The number of victories we both share is apparently equal. And now we have reached something of a stalemate."

Sharak seethed and grunted as the light shone in his clenched fist, trying to snap the Keyblade in two. Roxas studied the creature, noting that the more it tried to destroy the weapon, the harder it seemed to be.

"The Keyblade could obliterate me in a flash," explained Sharak. "Just as I could break it like a twig. And _now_…it appears as though that both hero and villain are incapable of destroying the other. Maybe it is best that way. After all, why destroy something that is pitifully easy to control."

Sharak stopped struggling at that point and the Keyblade returned to Roxas' grasp in a flash of light, again to his surprise. He inquisitively looked at the Keyblade, before looking back up to Sharak, now only standing a few feet away from him.

"You wanna control me, mister?! Good luck!"

"Time to face truth, Roxas. You will never be anything more than a puppet. A tool. A weapon. Headed for infinite nothingness when your worth is over. And DiZ will tell you that when it's time for Sora to awaken. Everything about your 'existence' is a lie, Roxas. Your being, your life…a mere fraudulent copy, created purely by accident from choice pieces of real-life, that will naturally be shafted by the real deal when he returns in a matter of _days_."

Roxas had closed his eyes, held his head in his hands, trying to block out all these absolutely horrible things Sharak was saying to him. Which were now repeating themselves in his head, thumping with more and more intensity.

Roxas was on the verge of crying at that point. Much to Sharak's delight.

"SHUT UP!!!" yelled the Keybearer as he struck out against the creature, violently nailing him and sending him flying against the clock statue that was designed after Central Station. When Sharak impacted against the object, the force smashed the statue in two, making the lights go out and the top half and the clock fall over the edge, roll violently down the hill and crash into the green field hundreds of feet below.

Roxas' frustration was now gone, the once-relentless taunts in his head now subsiding. Now there was confusion dominating his mindset. And he didn't know what stunned and baffled him more. The fact that he had no idea he was that powerful, that no one had been woken up by all the racket that was being made…

Or the fact that Sharak appeared to have _enjoyed_ what Roxas had just done to him.

He stood up right, his eyes changing position to give Roxas the impression that he was smiling.

"Whatever time you had left is now officially up, Keyblade master. Seeing as how you have nothing about yourself to take solace in, try to find comfort in the fact that you won't fade away _alone_."

"_SHUT_…_UP_!!!" yelled Roxas, preparing himself to fight, Keyblade in hand and at the ready. Sharak gently chuckled as he levitated himself off the ground, his red eyes blaring and the night sky gradually becoming that much darker.

"The only way is oblivion," persisted Sharak. "Go back to nothing!"

The contaminated darkness flew towards Roxas, striking with his claws. Roxas reacted by dodging and weaving as he fell back. Then he blocked the strike for his chest, and grappled furiously with his foe. The light sizzled like electricity from the intertwinement between the Keyblade and the darkness' claws. Both Sharak and Roxas growled intensely, struggling for the upper hand. As the light of the confrontation grew more brightly, the darkness of the surroundings, very strangely, intensified until it was next to impossible to make out the rest of the town and fields. The hill was now the only thing visible.

Roxas slowly started to fall to his knees, both Sharak's darkness and light growing in strength. A mighty roar accompanied the Keybearer's rise, thrusting Sharak back. Another flash of light followed as a result of Roxas' comeback, making the night sky normal again and all the hill's surroundings returned to visibility.

Sharak was wide open to attack, and Roxas was only too happy to oblige with tradition. He hacked away with his Keyblade, making Sharak cry out in pain. The monster retaliated with a fierce uppercut that rocketed the blonde-haired kid high up into the air. He tried to back-flip in mid-air to be in the right position to defend himself but Sharak was far too quick. He teleported to greet him, his dark hands brimming with the light's power, and his murderous claws violently struck Roxas.

The teenager screamed as the light burned through his being, becoming more and more painful everytime it came into contact with him. Sharak teleported in and out, striking Roxas from different angles.

"Suffer, resident of the dark!" yelled the creature maniacally. Roxas knew he couldn't take much more of this. And Sharak had struck at the perfect time, when Roxas was highly vulnerable both physically and mentally.

"Become one with truth…_fraud_," Sharak taunted again.

That was all Roxas needed to block the finishing blow, flip round behind Sharak and choke him with the Keyblade. Both were still in the air at this point, but not for much longer. Roxas snarled with anger as he viciously released the monster by throwing him down to the ground below. Sharak smashed face-first into the rock-hard ground, creating a crater that he very painfully started to get up out of, shaking off the trailing stones and ignoring the dust.

The monster screamed as Roxas slashed his spine with the Keyblade, making him jerk his head back, allowing Roxas to put the Keyblade against his throat, plant his right foot in the creature's back and pull, choking him again.

"Why are you doing this?! How can you say such horrible things?!" the teenager demanded.

"Such simplicity!" choked Sharak, laughing at Roxas at the same time. "Such naivety and obviousness in your demands! It's incredible that he was able to destroy so many who were much more advanced than you both! By all statistics, everyone is your superior! You haven't a chance in hell! Yet you just destroy whoever's put in front of you! No thought, no strategy! You just simply…!"

Roxas had had more than enough of this rambling. He had gathered enough to know that Sharak knew what he was talking about. But he was deliberately saying it in such a cryptic way to taunt Roxas, hinting that it was not what he wanted to hear.

And the strategy was working.

Because Roxas now desperately wanted to know, he wanted Sharak to tell him everything.

"No more games!" he yelled, pulling back harder, getting closer and closer to snapping Sharak's neck. "WHAT – ARE – YOU – TALKING – ABOUT?!"

Sharak paused before giving his reply.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"Then I'll _show _you."

The monster's darkness spread over the Keyblade like a horrible flowing liquid. Roxas panicked and tried to let go of his weapon but Sharak had him now, refusing to let go. The creature's form soon dissipated and covered all of Roxas, rendering him and the Keyblade completely dark.

The surroundings then went pitch black again, leaving only the hill completely visible. Roxas struggled desperately against the darkness. It was suffocating him, and he desperately wanted to break free. He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, smell, taste or touch.

It was like he had never been born.

_ARRGHHH!!!_

A huge bolt of lightning struck the shadowed Roxas, making him writhe in agony. Amazingly, he was still standing. But he could feel the pain.

The pain of light damaging the resident of dark.

The pain of _birth_.

The pain of memory.

Everything slowly came to light again. Roxas felt tired, weak. It was as though he was opening his eyes for the very first time.

He felt as though he had no idea what his limbs were or how to use them.

Then he saw Sora stab himself with Riku's Keyblade, releasing his heart and Kairi's. Sora's body fell, a bizarre light emitting from it as it did. Donald and Kairi ran towards him, trying to catch his falling body. As Sora was about to fall into Kairi's hands, his body vanished into nothingness.

Roxas slowly began to remember the events of his origin as they unfolded. Sharak's darkness still eclipsing him, he froze on the spot.

Another bolt of lightning struck him violently. He reacted as such, yet refused to fall down. In fact, the pain this time seemed to be less than that of the first strike.

Roxas saw himself looking at his surroundings. He was in Traverse Town, outside the old haunted mansion. It was daytime. The name 'Sora' was spelt out before him in ghostly transparent letters. Then they became rearranged to spell out a new name along with the 'x' that was added.

He became known as 'Roxas', a name given to him by Xemnas, the leader of the Organization, who he encountered shortly after he was born.

Another strike of lightning, another flash of pain and memory.

The Keybearer was now sitting in a huge white room, occupied by a bizarre-looking symbol in the centre of the room's floor. It looked exactly like the one he had seen marked on those white things that had shown up over the last few days.

Dusks…Nobodies they were called.

He looked around him, at the thirteen thrones, absolutely huge, dozens of feet high. And there sat a member of the Organization in each of them. Roxas stared at them in total silence and haunting remembrance.

_Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saïx, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia and Larxene._

Then there was himself, sitting in the last throne. The youngest and last member to join the Organization. A reluctant member somewhat, not entirely sure as to why he was among their ranks.

Another flash. Roxas no longer felt any pain caused by memory.

Though he should've done.

And he should've felt _fear_, too.

Because that was when Sharak burst into the castle, his hordes of Heartless in tow.

They struck the Organization hard, fast and by surprise.

Sharak targeted Xemnas first.

His right arm, restructured into an enormous scythe, radiating intensely with the power of darkness…Sharak's ungodly, unmatched darkness…raised high and coming down in horrific style, swiftly executing the Organization's leader.

The other Nobodies, now leaderless could only stand still in 'shock'. Without orders, direction and purpose. All except Marluxia and Larxene, the would-be usurpers, who now seemed to have been overwhelmed by the fact that the Organization was now theirs to control. 'Taking charge', they tried to launch a counter-attack against Sharak.

They failed. Sharak sent the Graceful Assassin to oblivion without any effort at all. The Savage Nymph was lucky to have survived. If you could call being severely injured 'lucky'.

Axel, on the other hand, had the brains to know that they were now in huge trouble. With Xemnas gone, Sharak had effectively crippled the Organization in one blow. The execution of Marluxia was just to add salt to the wounds, but it was an insult that would hurt any survivors even more.

Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus and Saïx all fell next. Vexen, the highest ranking Organization member left, knew that they were defeated and ordered a retreat. Their strongest warriors were destroyed, leaving only the survivors to do nothing but think a new strategy on survival and rebuilding. Vexen, Zexion, Demyx and Luxord teleported, retreating to Castle Oblivion, taking the critically wounded Larxene with them. Axel and Roxas, best friends since Roxas' induction, were about to make their leave.

But Sharak locked eyes with Roxas before they could. No. 13's presence shocked the source of all darkness.

"_You_…" he pointed ominously. "How can _you_ have the key when _he_ is still active?!"

Axel summoned his chakram, ordering Roxas to flee.

"We _can't _lose the Keyblade, Roxas!"

"Axel, don't!"

"Me, 8, _you_, 13," smirked the Flurry of Dancing Flames, pointing to himself and the Key of Destiny back and forth. "So that means _I_ call the shots in this case. Got it memorized? Now _run!_"

Axel threw his blazing chakram at the source of all darkness, who effortlessly swatted them aside. Axel summoned a huge wall of fire to block Sharak from Roxas. The chakram returned to his possession, then he readied himself for his last stand.

"Ever known what it's like to be toast?" smirked No. 8 at Sharak, as he leapt towards him, chakram ablaze and held up high. The creature caught him by the throat, making him drop his weapons, and the wall of fire subside instantly.

"Overrated circus freak," he insulted. "The fact that you saved the Keyblade changes _nothing_. The world will be mine again as preordained. And no matter what little hole your comrades retreat to, they'll forever remember what happens to those who dare to cross me. And _you_ will be the final example."

Axel choked, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He was drowning in pain. Not because of the depravation of air, but because Sharak was further torturing him by sending intense amounts of voltage coursing through his body. Axel wanted to scream but he couldn't. Sharak was denying him from doing so.

_I'm not scared,_ Axel thought in his last moments._ How can I be? I'm a Nobody, for Pete's sake. Heh…Pete. I made a funny. Ah, well. So much for getting my heart back. Never thought I'd go out like this. Ah…who wants to live forever, any…?_

"AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Oathkeeper and the Oblivion took a massive chunk out of Sharak's mass. Axel fell to the ground, as Roxas drove Sharak back with his Keyblades, putting some distance between him and Axel.

No. 8 struggled mightily to stand. Just about ready to lose consciousness, it was the sight of his best friend mercilessly attacking Sharak that widened his eyes and made him stay awake.

"Axel, go!"

Axel could've been thinking any number of things. He could've been thinking that maybe the Keybearer could actually destroy Sharak here and now, given the way he was relentlessly pounding him. Axel could've been thinking how stupid Roxas was being for disobeying a direct order and risking losing yet another of the Organization's strongest, along with the Keyblade. He could've been thinking how he was now too weak after Sharak's attack to try and help his dear friend. He could've been thinking about dying side-by-side with Roxas, obeying Vexen's orders, the fact that he started to feel as though he had a heart again…

But when he saw Sharak teleport away from the onslaught, and claw Roxas in the back of the head, ordering the Heartless to pounce on him, Axel teleported away thinking…

_Sharak…I'm gonna make you suffer for this_.

* * *

Back in Twilight Town, Sharak cried out in pain. The shuriken ripped through his hide, allowing the gloved fingers to grab a firm hold of his darkness and rip him off Roxas like a bed sheet.

The newcomer threw the darkness to the ground, where it swirled across like a cloud, then resumed its humanoid form. The creature, on its knees, slowly looked up to see a figure, hooded and dressed in black, looking down at him while flipping a throwing star in-between his fingers.

"Oh…" was all Sharak said, realising that he'd lost the advantage. His reasons became justified when he noticed an odd distortion flying around them all. Sharak got up to his feet but didn't make another move.

The Unknown drew his sword and pointed it at the contaminated darkness' throat. The entire town was now visible again. It was night, still, cool, peaceful and quiet.

Roxas, at a total loss for words, just stared all around him and then at Sharak. He slowly raised his arm to point at him, remembering what had happened.

"Sharak…y-you…you…"

"Roxas!" snapped the Unknown. "I do not know what this dog has shown you but I ask you to forget everything that happened here this night! He exists only to manipulate and destroy! You cannot believe anything he says or does!"

"Don't listen to the little fool, Nobody! _Every_one is manipulating you, _shielding_ you from the truth! You're living a fantasy that is stopping you from discovering that you're…!"

The Unknown twisted his sword to shut Sharak up. The creature dodged the decapitating strike and lunged to slash his face. The Unknown sidestepped but in the process, his hood fell down. At that point, Roxas wanted to see the newcomers face. He knew at the start that he couldn't have been the guy in the black coat that had robbed him and intruded on his meeting with Naminé. This one was a different size and height, and had a different voice altogether.

So was this guy an associate of his? Of Naminé's?

The Unknown kicked Sharak away from him, making him fall. But before the monster could land on his back, he froze on the spot.

Then he disappeared in a flash of data.

The newcomer sighed in relief. That had been too close.

Roxas had absolutely no idea what to make of all this. And he knew that doubtless, what had happened early this morning would supply the answers.

Then he looked to the Unknown. He looked round to see his face but the Unknown had been quick in pulling his hood back up. Roxas had made sure to remember what he had managed to see. And that was long black hair that reached to the figure's shoulders. He sounded and appeared young, maybe a year or two older than Roxas. The blonde-haired kid hadn't seen his face but he felt as though he should've done. Yet he didn't because even though his hood had fallen down, the newcomer's face had been obscured. Partially by his hair and something _else_. Something shadowy.

"Hey!" exclaimed Roxas in realisation. "I _know_ you."

The Unknown quickly turned round at that point, faced Roxas and snapped his fingers. The Keybearer turned round to see another dark portal had materialised.

"Not again!" he protested, starting to back away. But he had no choice. He screamed as he was forced through inside by the Unknown's kick. After Roxas had gone through, the portal closed and disappeared.

"The Heartless are gone," the figure in the black coat informed. "We're all clear."

Then everything went hazy and distorted. The colour faded instantly into black and white. And then everything faded entirely.

…

* * *

"It is I…Ansem! Lead me into everlasting darkness!"

The possessed Riku raised his Keyblade high to strike Sora. The blow came down to release Kairi's heart.

"Sora!"

The Keybearer heard Kairi's voice and drew out his own Keyblade just in time to block the blow.

"Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"

Sora released Kairi's heart. Kairi restored Sora's own heart after he had turned into a Heartless.

"Kairi."

Sora saw Kairi's face. She was smiling warmly at him.

…

…

…

"We may never meet again," explained Leon, "but we'll never forget each other."

"No matter where we are," furthered Aerith, "our hearts will bring us together again."

* * *

Back at DiZ's mansion, the Unknown had just entered the front door into the Mansion Foyer. Tired, he slowly made it up the stairs to go to the Library. He had just made it to the upper level and was about to touch the door handle when…

"Roxas _should_ forget what happened tonight by dawn," said Ansem, who was leaning against the wall, arms folded, only a few metres away from the Unknown. The hooded newcomer turned to face him.

"Good," was all he said to his colleague. Then he turned back round for the Library.

"DiZ isn't pleased with what you did," Ansem said, stopping him again. The Unknown, looking back over his shoulder, merely retorted, "If DiZ has a problem, he can confront me about it _himself_."

The Unknown opened the doors to the Library.

To see DiZ standing before him, blocking his path.

"As you wish," stated the masked man, glaring at his apprentice, visibly displeased. The hooded figure just folded his arms.

"Roxas was in serious jeopardy," he began. "So was Sora. Sharak could've irreparably damaged everything."

"So could _you_," snapped DiZ. "I gave you strict orders not to go to the town under _any_ circumstances. And I gave you plenty of reasons exactly _why_ you couldn't."

"You recruited me to safeguard Sora from threats such as Sharak, _and_ Organization XIII for that matter, while he sleeps. _Both_ threats are growing again, and with Sora in such a vulnerable position, that means _all_ defences _need_ to be employed."

"The _last_ thing we need is another imbalance!" shouted DiZ. "Your job is to keep Sharak at bay! That does _not_ include engaging Sharak in open battle in front of Roxas to _deliberately_ and _recklessly _open a box that needs to be _strictly _controlled at all times! And you were stupid enough to almost let Roxas find out who you were!"

"I think Sora has the right to remember what happened! You cannot stop him from doing so!"

"Are you depending on _Naminé _to continue repairing everything? We cannot keep relying on her to magically undo all the mistakes that keep being made! Didn't you learn that with T…?"

"Do you want me to _apologise_, DiZ?" asked the Unknown, having had enough of this. "I did what I did…what I _had_ to, and I'm _not_ sorry for saving Sora. Whether you like it or you don't, I couldn't care less. I'm not here for your approval. I'm here to make sure that Sora awakes, that Sharak and the Organization are gone, and the story and ending are written properly. Of that, you can be certain. I have nothing more to say to you."

With that, the Unknown barged past DiZ, making his way to the Computer Room. DiZ didn't take his narrowed eyes off the young apprentice. As he made his way down the stairs to the basement. Ansem, who had decided to stay out of the argument, walked up to DiZ.

"He did what he felt he had to," justified Ansem. "And if he hadn't infiltrated the town and given us the time we needed…"

"Nevertheless," cut off DiZ. "he's growing beyond my control."

"You knew the risk was great when you recruited him."

"Just as I knew the risk when I recruited _you_. When I took Naminé under my wing. There are no excuses. If Sora's awakening is ruined in any way, our plans will be for nothing."

DiZ turned to face Ansem.

"Keep a closer eye on him," he ordered, then walked away, Ansem nodding in agreement as he too made his leave.

…

Everything then became scrambled, a fuzzy static was now all there was.

"_Damage repaired,"_ the computer informed. _"Restoration at 56 percent."

* * *

_

The Unknown walked down the Basement Corridor, turning to see Donald and Goofy, still fast asleep in their pods. He paused for a moment, promising them both, "Only a few days left," then carried on to the end of the corridor.

He opened the door and entered the Pod Room, where Naminé was standing in front of the giant capsule containing the sleeping Sora. The Unknown paused again as he looked at Naminé then at the pod. The witch smiled warmly as the Unknown walked up to her. They stood together, side-by-side looking at the pod.

"Ri…Ansem…" the Unknown reluctantly corrected himself, "said that Roxas will wake up in the morning as though Sharak's intrusion never happened."

"It was still too close," warned Naminé.

"I _know_. DiZ already told me."

Naminé instantly detected the resentment in his voice.

"Why have you become unsure about your decision?" she asked.

"Because I'm starting to think that DiZ's motives may not be as pure I believed them to be. What I _wanted _them. What I _chose_ to trust in."

"You haven't answered my question."

The Unknown paused again. The silence was long and unsettling.

"Because…" he began, reluctantly, not wanting to say this, "if Roxas was never meant to exist…if his being here is purely accidental, that he's not meant to be part of the story at all…where does that leave _you_? Where does that leave _me_? Where does it leave…?"

"I thought the only thing that mattered to you," Naminé interrupted quickly, "was seeing Sora, Donald and Goofy awake again."

"It _was_. And it's _still_ one of my top priorities."

"One of…?"

The Unknown turned to face Naminé, and placed a finger to his lips.

"Objectives change over time, Naminé," he explained. "For Sora, Donald and Goofy, it started out as a case of finding their lost friends. Then it became thwarting and surviving evil machinations, wanting to return home, and helping others. It's only _natural_ for objectives to increase as…certain things develop."

He then gently caressed the surprised Naminé's cheek and then gently lifted her chin up so he could look deep into her eyes. The young witch didn't know how to react. This turn of events had completely surprised her.


	3. Chapter 3: 'No 14'

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 3: 'No. 14'_**

"Rise and shine, little girl!"

No response.

"Wakey-wakey-wakey!"

_Still_ no response.

"Wake up, you little tramp!" he bellowed frighteningly, making the nameless girl jump up out of her bed. She awoke as though she'd just had a nightmare. She had been surrounded by Dusks back in Traverse Town and then…

She took a thought break to look at the individual scowling at her. The man was of average height with a villainous, yet somewhat comical appearance. He was wearing a dark turquoise lab coat, with a black waist band complete with a faded, lime green spot in the centre. His collar was also black with a faded, lime green spot in the centre. His coat was complete with black gloves and boots, implying that he was a scientist of some kind.

The oddest thing about him, though…was the fact that he had aqua-blue _skin_. His eyes and grimace easily gave away his madness, and the short, scruffy black hair (complete with small ponytail) finished the justification of what he was.

_Mad scientist_, she concluded, somewhat taken aback by his presence, and not knowing whether to be confused, intimidated or to burst into laughter because of his comical appearance.

The scowl on the scientist's face shifted into a somewhat demonic and unsettling grin.

"Ah…_finally_, you're awake. _About TIME, too_." He didn't try very hard to say that last part particularly quiet. The fact that he also said it through his teeth implied that he wasn't meant to be a very nice person.

"Who…who are…?" The Unknown was trying to shake off the cobwebs, but the host was hardly being sympathetic, as he got in her face, still wearing that unsettling smile. The nameless teenager moved her head back, starting to become wary of what he might do.

"I," began the scientist, boasting, "am none other than the world-infamous, Doctor Drakken! Evil genius, soon-to-be-world-conqueror, and unmatched scientist, extraordinaire! Welcome to our grand little-home, where we will CRUSH ALL OUR ENEMIES!!! ONCE AND FOR ALL!!! AND CLAIM THE GREATEST PRIZE OF ALL TO ALLOW OUR DOMINION OVER…!!!"

"Drakken…"

The nameless teenager and the scientist turned their attention to the newcomer. She was about the same age as the Unknown, again of average height. She was wearing a rather unique combat suit, patterned in a militaristic kind of way, with the different parts of her attire coloured either black or bright green. She had long black hair, almost cloud-like, that reached down to her waist. Her face was youthful, yet had an arrangement of narrow eyes, thin, somewhat artistic, black eyebrows, a small, well-rounded nose and black lips gave the Unknown the impression she was rather moody but very intelligent. Her skin colour was bizarrely similar, but different to Drakken's. A pale white, tainted by the lightest possible shade of lime green.

Her size, shape and build gave away that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She gave off an aura of dominance, beauty and deadliness, intertwined in a way that was unique and quite unusual.

The newcomer made it clear that she'd had enough of Drakken's messing around.

"Are you _done_?"

"I was in the middle of my grand introductions," seethed the mad scientist, his voice filled with a venom that matched the annoyance and frustration on his face. He looked as though he was about to explode at the newcomer for interrupting him. Then his anger just washed away inexplicably before he sighed, looked up to the ceiling in exasperation. He turned round to explain to the bewildered nameless girl.

"This is my _assistant_, Shego. She…"

"Doctor Drakken," she interrupted, stepping up to let the Unknown who was really in the driver's seat, "is my _former_, one-time employer. _Currently_, we've both recently been signed up by new management that's _finally_," her eyes then fleetingly shifted to Drakken infuriately, "gonna take us to the big time. Now that that's all cleared up, the boss wants to speak with you personally."

The nameless girl pointed to herself, puzzled. Then asked, "The…boss?"

Shego groaned and then muttered, "You things are like one of Drakken's computers. You take ages to get going, then most likely you rebel, and then finally crash and burn."

Her comment didn't escape Drakken's hearing, but Shego carried on regardless, not giving him the chance to protest.

"'Boss!' 'Employer!' 'Master!' 'Big shouty guy who gives orders that you obey!'" she elaborated, making sure the Unknown plainly understood just how irritated Shego had become. "Wanna know who he is? Then follow _moi_. Drakken, carry on doing…whatever it is you're supposed to be doing."

The nameless girl, still not sure as to where she was and what she was doing here, followed Shego anyway, leaving Drakken with a dropped jaw hanging. His mouth closed soon after they'd gone to form another scowl and then a yell of frustration at Shego.

"_No one _gets away with disrespecting me like that, you little…!!!"

* * *

Shego led the nameless girl throughout various rooms of the castle. Everywhere they went; it was teeming with darkness' stench, lit by ominous lighting. The Unknown noticed a few haunting statues and paintings of Heartless decorating some of the hallways, with the Heartless emblem occasionally being noticed.

"What exactly is this world?" the nameless girl asked.

"Don't recognise it?" asked a bored Shego, looking over her shoulder back at the 'guest'. "Not surprising. It's been extensively redecorated since those pictures you saw were taken."

The Unknown's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"This is Castle Oblivion."

That made the Unknown stop dead in her tracks.

"W-what?!"

Shego could've explained the whole situation if she wanted to. Actually, she could do _anything_ that she wanted to…if she had the right sort of motivation. But most of the time, it seemed as though she just couldn't be bothered. And the fact that the nameless teenager (regardless of who and what she was) wanted to play twenty questions, was starting to test Shego's patience (and she had _very_ little of it) to its limits.

"Sadly, I can't shut you up merely cos' you _so_ irritate me," she sighed as she stopped and turned round to explain, "so I'll just have to repeat myself in order to avoid…being punished."

What Shego had just said had cemented a few things about her for the nameless girl to remember. She couldn't stand fools very well, although why she hung around with Drakken was beyond the Unknown's understanding. But then again, that probably justified her lack of motivation and commitment to her cause.

The nameless girl also noted that Shego's tone had changed when she said the part about 'being punished'. She didn't look in the least bit like someone who scared easy, meaning that whoever her new employer was…this 'boss'…must be someone that bit more and worse than they barked.

"The boss'll tell you the whole story," Shego slowly explained. Whatever fleeting fear had existed in her voice had once again been dominated by lack of tolerance and the final word. "Got it?"

"Got it," the Unknown replied quickly, wary of Shego's legitimate shortfuse, but still more confused than anything else.

Shego led the Unknown through a few more rooms, half-heartedly pointing to and explaining about a torture chamber, a dungeon, training facilities, a Heartless factory, a library and the basement laboratory. Soon, they came to a halt by some steps that led to a set of double doors.

"Okay, you've had enough rope-showing from _me_," Shego said, as they approached quite a large, mysterious black orb, that seemed to have stars twinkling and floating around inside it. "Time to say hello to the guy you're now working for."

The henchwoman touched the orb, and the two faded away into darkness. The nameless girl started to panic as the darkness covered her instantly. Everything went dark, and for a moment, she thought she couldn't breathe, see, hear, taste…

Then a second later, they both re-materialised in a different part of the castle. The nameless girl then felt a huge sense of relief, and then a sense of how stupid she must have appeared to Shego, so quickly took a formal stance. Shego hadn't noticed, on account she wasn't really that bothered.

"Here we are," she declared. "The _thirteenth_ floor."

Shego and the nameless teenager walked up to the giant doors together, and Shego knocked.

"_ENTER_," a voice boomed.

It sounded like more than one person was speaking.

It echoed throughout the castle.

Sending chills down the spines of everyone.

The nameless girl recognised those _voices_…that voice.

The doors opened and Shego escorted the 'guest' into the throne room. Everywhere was pitch black, yet despite that, the Unknown could see herself as visibly as she could in daytime. The room was a total void. There was nothing here, save for a giant throne carved out of stone, and decorated with insidious looking carvings and sculptures of Heartless. Where a tall, dark, well-built…shadow was seemingly sitting. It was hard to make out exactly what it was.

Then the Unknown realised that she was standing in the middle of the room, where the Heartless emblem was marked out as a sort of 'rug'.

"Here you are, boss. As delivered."

"Thank you, Shego," the figure dismissed. Shego obliged, leaving the nameless girl all alone with the anonymous individual sitting in the throne.

An unholy silence filled the room, adding to the cold, deadly atmosphere.

"Still wondering why you're here?" asked the voice, rhetorically. "_How_ you are here?"

Red eyes blared brightly in the darkness as soon as the voice's owner had spoken. The nameless girl's own eyes widened with shock and fear. She started to back away, her desire to runaway becoming greater by the second.

She knew who she was in the presence of.

All too well.

"Sharak."

"Answer to why;" the creature began to explain, "you are here because I saved you. It was a great deal of trouble to do so. To find you, supply you with as much information as Drakken could…and then of course, there was the matter of saving you before DiZ could determine exactly what was going on. And then there were those stupid Dusks to contend with. As you are undoubtedly aware, there are many who want you dead. For _numerous_ reasons. The _simplest_ being merely what you are."

The Unknown stopped backing away in fear, and then tried to muster some courage, remembering what her recent experiences had taught her.

"They can try," she challenged as she summoned her sai daggers, assuming her defensive stance.

"You try anything stupid in my home, little girl…" warned Sharak sinisterly, rising from his throne and advancing slowly towards his 'guest', "and I will destroy you _myself_."

With that, the nameless girl lowered and withdrew her weapons. She stood up straight, knowing Sharak _intimately_, and knowing _for sure_ what he would do if she took a false step. Sharak continued to walk up to the Unknown, who was mesmerised by the fact that she wasn't supposed to make out Sharak's figure in this pitch blackness. Yet she did, thanks to the bizarre outline that 'drew out' his body's shape for her to see. The outline was a very fine, bright, white light, which was like a luminous chalk drawing on a blackboard. It was so bizarre, yet unholy at the same time.

"Answer to _how_;" the contaminated darkness continued, "you are here…well, I think you _already_ know _how _you are here, don't you?"

The Unknown's fear was washed away by the wave of confusion. She didn't understand what Sharak was talking about, at first. She felt like asking him to explain, and was just about to…when suddenly, she remembered the information she had read from DiZ's mainframe.

She was like Sharak. An exile of the long-deleted timeline…'The Second Rise of the Source'. She had been the friend of Jaron and Adam…_Hi-Jax_…and had been protected by the long-destroyed Council of Light.

But…that was pretty much it. She still couldn't remember her _name_. And there were still other holes in her memory, such as how her old life had come to an end and why she now felt so…_incomplete_.

"Longing for your heart?" asked Sharak. His voice snapped the nameless girl out of her trance. She looked up at the ominous being that towered over her, her face etched with confusion. Why had he asked her that question?

"Tell me. What do you remember about your Nobody research?"

She paused for a moment. Everything she had learnt back in Traverse Town had had to be forced deep to the back of her mind when the Dusks had ambushed her. But the back-story had been so engrossing, she had studied it well. It could hardly be forgotten, especially seeing as how she had only just recently read it all.

"Nobodies are creatures that lack hearts," she answered, confidently and correctly. "They're created when a strong-hearted person loses their heart, which in-turn becomes a Heartless. Nobodies can only be controlled by those who rank within Organization XIII."

Sharak's eyes changed position to indicate he was smiling. Surprisingly, he then put his hand on the Unknown's shoulder, which took her completely aback.

"Very good." He sounded pleased, on the verge of being _impressed_. The Unknown thought it very uncharacteristic of him, and she still didn't know how and why she knew that.

"Why are you…?" she began, puzzled.

"Do you know exactly _how_…" interrupted Sharak, his curiosity (and his hidden and controlled eagerness) wanting to be sated, "the Organization is able to control Nobodies when no one else can?"

She wanted to say that she didn't know, but deep down she realised that was a lie. The nameless girl _did _know. She just hadn't figured it out yet.

_The Nobodies follow orders from twelve lieutenants, and their ultimate leader, Xemnas_, she remembered._ One of their lieutenants was Roxas..._

Then it hit her.

Her eyes widened in remembrance and realisation.

_Roxas was the Nobody of SORA._

Sharak saw the calculations coming to a close and chuckled fondly, doubtless impressed.

"Lesser Nobodies follow their betters by _nature_," she answered.

"Surprising, is it not? How there are Nobodies out there whose hearts were so strong, so unmatched and elite, that they were amazingly able to retain there human appearances. Very uncanny…very _wild_ and _uncontrolled_. To my knowledge, there have been _fifteen_ people who have retained human form as Nobodies. And there has only been _one_…_just_ one…who managed to retain his human form as a _Heartless_."

Another pause followed.

Then, the Unknown gave her guess.

"Ansem? Seeker of Darkness?"

Sharak nodded in slow appreciation.

_Yes…you will be most useful. You learn and deduce quick, and when your fighting potential is soon realized, there will be nothing that can stop you._

"I know that you know me personally," confessed Sharak. "Though, like you, I do not know _how_. My mind is still not all that it once was. Thanks to _Naminé_."

"Why? What did she do?"

"It's what she _always_ does," the emperor explained. "Her power to control memories is dangerous, potentially _lethal_ if she uses it to…wipe the slate clean, as it were. I've suffered because of it. I've forgotten many things…about Roxas, about Nobodies, about Heartless…and Ansem. Or whatever you wish to call him. Whichever _aspect_ you choose to name."

"Whichever _aspect_?" the enigmatic girl repeated to herself. The gears in her head started to turn deductively. Then she asked in astonishment, "Are you saying that there was more than one…'Ansem'?"

"Yes _and_ no," elaborated the creature, who was still impressed by the girl's sharp intellect and uncanny understanding. "You see…once upon a time, the Ansem you know was a Heartless, as you have just realised. But he was the Heartless of a _pretender_. A mere lackey called Xehanort, the foremost of a group of apprentices to the _real_ Ansem. The true ruler of Hollow Bastion, Ansem the Wise. When experimenting with the heart and the darkness, Xehanort and the others fell prey to that same force. They betrayed their master, and Xehanort took the name of Ansem, replacing him as ruler of his people. Then he became a Heartless…"

"And then a Nobody…Xemnas, the Organization's Superior."

"The other apprentices…Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus and Ienzo, would go on to found the Organization along with Xemnas, after they became Nobodies."

"What became of their Heartless'?" asked the curious Unknown.

"Enslaved, destroyed," Sharak dismissed. "They were nothing compared to Xehanort. Their hearts may have been strong but they were nowhere near strong enough to retain human form as Heartless'."

"Why is it easier to do so as a Nobody?"

"Simply because it is an anomaly," seethed Sharak in rage. "AN _ACCIDENT_. One that continues to occur. And _dares_ to defy me. To _hinder_ me. But accidents…_nothing_ can be made into a blessing. Depending, of course…on whether or not they have the ability to see the darkness. And that _my _way…is the _only _way."

The nameless girl slowly looked up at her 'host'. Her eyes slowly widened in 'sadness' as she put together the final pieces. What Sharak had said just now, and why he had asked her about her heart.

"That…that's why you brought me here, isn't it? I'm…I'm…a Nobody, too. Aren't I?"

Tears wanted to fall out of her eyes at this revelation. But none came. Not this time.

And she couldn't understand why.

Sharak knelt down before her, like a perverse father-figure. He then lifted her chin up and gently placed her hands on her cheeks, making her look deep into his eyes. She thought for a second that Sharak was trying to lure her into a false sense of security, before most likely destroy her.

After all, this was not how Sharak usually acted. He was monstrous, ruthless, sadistic and unfeeling. He only cared about destruction, inflicting pain and misery on others and conquering everything.

"Listen to me…_carefull_y," he began. "Because Nobodies do not have hearts, they do not have emotions of any kind. When they pretend they do, they're fooling everyone, including themselves. _You_ are a Nobody. You only _remember_ what it's like to know fear among other things. You were never meant to exist. Everything about you is a lie, plain and simple. And in order to turn lies into truth…you desire completion."

Yet another unholy silence filled the throne room. The Nobody wanted to cower. She wanted to cry. She wanted to succumb to rage to defy Sharak. She wanted to do anything and everything to spite him and prove him wrong.

But she didn't.

She knew she couldn't.

Not without the one thing she wanted most.

A heart.

"And that is why the Organization are after Kingdom Hearts," she stated simply. Almost _professionally_. As if the truth that she couldn't feel had now consumed her. And her voice had lost all emotion, and her personality had been erased.

Sharak removed his hands from the teenager and stood up straight. His eyes once again changing position to show his pleasure.

"It is their only chance of completion. Or so they like to believe. As you have learned, I have destroyed Nobodies with sheer ease. They are no competition for me in terms of direct confrontation, and five of them have been destroyed by Sora and Riku in this current timeline. Bottom line; they are destined to return to the oblivion from whence they came. But they are nonetheless a great nuisance. They _want and need_ Kingdom Hearts, and they will do _anything _to get it. They have even gone so far as to usurp my own hordes of Heartless, my darkness and my power for their own purposes."

"So essentially they have _two_ forces serving them, then?"

"The so-called 'union' of Heartless and Nobodies is shallow, unethical and ridiculous," snorted the creature in contempt of the idea. "Heartless and Nobodies are _born_ enemies. Heartless are the _superior_ force. The Organization has insulted me by using my children as Keyblade fodder, daring to place them as the 'inferior' species. And it is one insult too many. I will claim Kingdom Hearts _first_. And why? Because _no one_ has been able to do so. Other than _me_, meaning that the heart of all that lives…can _only_ be entitled to _me_."

"But how?" asked the Nobody. "Kingdom Hearts was sealed twelve months ago. And the fact you are still _diseased_, many of your former allies are deceased and the Princesses of Heart…"

"True. I cannot unseal Kingdom Hearts given the current situation. Which is why I must make _changes_."

The teenage Nobody, no longer afraid of the monster, and now starting to develop some form of relationship with him (regardless of the still sketchy details of the dark past between them), narrowed her eyes in confusion. Sharak walked past her as the doors started to open. The tainted light of the outside hallway could now be entered.

"Walk with me," Sharak asked the Nobody.

* * *

The two walked down the spiral stairs of Castle Oblivion, taking their time. Sharak continued with his explanations.

"I do not know how Organization XIII can possibly claim Kingdom Hearts. And I doubt that they will seek the capture of the seven princesses. That process has been tried and tested too many times. And even if the Nobodies felt differently, they know that only _I_ can unseal it with the right assistance. No, it just wouldn't work."

"_Are_ there other methods?" asked the nameless girl.

"If there are, I do not know," Sharak answered, cursing himself for the holes in his knowledge. He hated himself for it. He used to know _all_ that there was to know. And now, on reflection, he knew so little.

"Regardless, the Organization has suffered due to the events of the past year. And the events that followed not long afterwards. Their forces need bolstering. That's why they wanted you. And if they succeeded in capturing you…you would be given the one-sided choice. You either say 'yes' to them, or you perish. That is their rule."

"More or less the same as _your_ rule then," remarked the Unknown. Sharak halted and swung his head back round to glare at his 'guest' for that somewhat flippant comment. The Nobody just stared back. There was no possible way of telling how the creature would react.

Surprisingly, Sharak just tilted his head back and gave a bellowing, amused laugh. Once he settled down, he answered back, "Apart from that and the acquisition of Kingdom Hearts, that is where the similarities end. The conclusive fact is that the Organization is nothing more than a group of ignorant upstarts who will never know their place. The only sensible place for all to be to ensure survival and achieve victory…is simply at my side. Under my rule."

The two resumed their journey downward.

"Maleficent and her group thought otherwise and they were destroyed. When I recruited her and Sephiroth, they thought otherwise and they were destroyed when they made the grievous error of trying to betray me. Those Organization renegades and losers believed they were kings…only to be destroyed. True, I also have fallen at Sora's hand, but it was _because_ I fell that nearly spelt reality's end. The world _needs_ me, my dear. The force that holds it all together is _me_. Anything and everything else is _possession_. _My_ possession."

"So you're offering me…?"

"The chance to find out _who_ you are. And to be the exception to the rule. Unknowns such as yourself are the most powerful and special form of Nobody. They are destined to return to darkness, but _you_ have the opportunity to _defy_ destiny and be a _Somebody_ instead."

Sharak and the Unknown exited the spiral stairs. They continued to walk a few more paces then came to a halt.

"If I'm going to be successful in this war," Sharak continued, "I need _more _than Heartless. After I was forced out of Sora's heart, I realised that I needed to…understand the light that dwells within me. I have fought and despised it for so long that my desire to see it gone consumed and destroyed me, and very nearly the world. The episode with Terron has finally spelt out to me that light and dark _need_ one another to equal survival; to complete the equation as it were."

Sharak clenched his right hand into a fist. It shook uncontrollably as light sizzled out of it like electricity. It spread like wildfire, covering half of his body, like a moon blotting out a sun. The Nobody's eyes narrowed in fascination.

"An anomaly," she remarked. "Half-light, half-dark. Just like Hi-Jax."

"Similar but different. As different as I am from Hi-Jax. Unlike him, my…'metamorphosis' was accidental, not orchestrated. His mastery over his new powers came naturally, whereas I was only able to master control, and rid myself of those frustratingly painful seizures, through long, arduous periods of meditation and exercise. The end result was worth it. As I have now gained remarkable new talents. But while I recognise the necessity of light's existence and the advantages it provides…"

The light faded away as Sharak resumed his normal, dark form.

"Darkness is _still_ the superior force," he declared, adamantly. "Now I must learn to expel the light, yet ensure its survival, and keep it under my control at the same time so I can reclaim my throne. My recent change of philosophy has allowed me to control the Heartless again."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean they recognise you as their father," the Nobody pointed out.

"No. The only way I can gain their _complete_ loyalty is to cure myself. When that time comes, _all _Heartless will fall under my control. At the moment, though, I am no different than any other they choose to ally with."

"So you're trying to gain every advantage possible by recruiting a variety of talent from other worlds," concluded the female Unknown.

"Not as allies," Sharak stipulated. "An elite circle of _lieutenants_, loyal only to me. _I _am ruler and no one else. Such innovation and uniqueness will give me all I need to defeat Organization XIII and Sora. As will the acquisition of this fabulous Nobody outpost. Xemnas and his subordinates have little use for Castle Oblivion these days. Why would they after what happened here? When Sora, Donald and Goofy were transported to DiZ's mansion in Twilight Town, the castle became abandoned, making this a perfect new home for me."

The contaminated darkness then teleported himself and the Nobody teenager to Drakken's laboratory in one of the castle's basements. Sharak and his 'guest' now stood on top of a walkway high above the research and development area, observing a grinning Drakken snigger like an evil child as he played with his machines, producing artificial Heartless for Sharak.

"I chose Doctor Drakken for obvious reasons," the emperor explained. "True, he is a physical weakling, his heart reeks of cowardice, he lacks common sense, he talks more than he fights and his genius is spoiled by his lack of self-discipline…"

Sharak then chuckled as Drakken looked proudly at the formidable array of Heartless he had just created.

"But he nonetheless possesses great ambition and malevolence. His expertise at mind games is a bonus. And his genius can easily be a true asset to my cause, so long as I am on hand to point him in the right direction. He was easy to recruit. He just simply wants to take over the world. A wish effortlessly granted by Kingdom Hearts."

They then turned their attention to Shego, who was exercising in another area of the lab. Soldiers appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her instantly. Her eyes narrowed and one leapt to claw her in the face. A flying roundhouse from Shego easily took the Soldier out of the game. Two more span towards her with flying attacks. She high-jumped out of their path and slammed their heads together as she landed, eliminating them in the process. Shego then kicked out suddenly and violently to her side, destroying another Soldier. Then she crouched and leg-swept another Heartless that came at her. As she rose, she backfisted another without even looking and then proceeded to incinerate the Heartless lain before her with her trademark green plasma flares.

Her hands now radiating the lethal energy, Shego proceeded to tear apart all opposition before her.

"Shego is so close to being flawless. Look at how talented and fierce she is in combat. She possesses the spark and physical prime of youth; she's smart, focused, strives for success and has little to no conscience. And yet…" Sharak's tone changed from admiration to disappointment, "she lacks the proper drive to achieve her goals. With the right level of commitment, there's no telling how far she could go. _She_ should be in total control of her allegiance with Drakken, _not_ him. But she has potential, much of it. And under my tutelage, Nobodies won't stand a chance against her."

Sharak and his 'guest' turned away from their observation to face each other.

"But Shego and Drakken are only the _beginning_. In time, I will have _more_ new warriors fighting in my name. You are an Unknown. The most powerful form of Nobody. You can bring me greatness, and like them," he nodded back to Drakken and Shego, "will _more_ than reap the rewards."

"So you have said," replied the nameless girl. "But tell me…are you going to destroy me _instantly_ where I stand if I say _no_?"

"Traditionally, yes. But the war is coming, meaning you're going to have to choose a side. Who will you stand with if not _me_? Maleficent is dead. Sora will destroy you as soon as look at you. DiZ craves the elimination of all Nobodies. And Hi-Jax wants you all dead for tearing his life apart. Leaving only Organization XIII who could take you in. But ask yourself if that's really the way to go. _All_ fall before me in the end. You know that."

"As it is, I'm damned whatever my decision is, wherever I go. So what real difference does it make?"

_Valid rebuttal, _Sharak contemplated again._ Which is why you must serve me._

"You want _and_ need answers," the creature furthered. "And they stand right before you. Isn't it logical to try and retrieve answers at the earliest opportunity? Besides…you _know_ me. You know that I always reward those who are loyal to me. And you do not know the Organization."

"Better the devil I know," quoted the teenager. "Very well. I accept."

_Excellent_, 'smiled' Sharak. "Now then. While we build our army, I must also devise a way of obtaining a cure for my condition. That objective has become complicated, again by the events this past year. Roxas betrayed the Organization and deserted. For reasons that need not concern you, DiZ discovered that Sora needed to be unified with Roxas in order to awaken. Riku was recruited by DiZ in order to capture Roxas, but to do so, he had to succumb to the darkness in his heart that was Ansem. When he did so, he effectively eliminated one of my two chances of being able to cure myself using his data."

"Making Hi-Jax the only choice left," the nameless girl concluded. "How do you intend to assimilate him?"

"That strategy I am putting on 'hold' at the moment. I have other matters to deal with. Sora will awaken in a few days time. After Drakken helped you to hack into DiZ's database and my invasion of Twilight Town ended in failure, there is nothing else I can do to enslave the Keybearer. DiZ will be more on his guard now. But I need to find a way back to the Organization's stronghold."

"And the only way is via Twilight Town?"

"Drakken was able to confirm it, but unable to obtain the coordinates for our own use. The arrival of Nobodies in Twilight Town complicates matters, but I need to go back there so I can infiltrate the Organization's stronghold and discover exactly what their plans are."

"But you went there before, didn't you?" enquired the female Nobody.

"Twice," Sharak specified. "But…recent events have prohibited me from going back there like I could journey to any other world."

"So putting it simply…" remarked the nameless girl, "before you can do anything, you need to concentrate on building your forces."

Sharak took a moment to stare deep into the Unknown's eyes.

"You can be my right-hand person…second only to me. You have all the potential in the world to be better than any member of Organization. Like all Nobodies, you have great power, regardless of its inferiority to mine. We will elaborate on your role and begin shaping you into what you are destined to be immediately. Are you ready?"

The nameless girl summoned her sai daggers and assumed her battle stance.

"Yes…_master_," she unemotionally, yet respectfully obeyed.

Sharak's eyes twisted and blared into another haunting 'smirk'.

"Good. Now…let us start with your _name_."

* * *

**_Author's note: Many, many apologies for being late with this update. I've been somewhat busy of late with trying to get my novel up off the ground, other writing projects, going on holiday, and also trying to get myself sorted with a job. I haven't given up on the Darkness-Nothing War, and have it all plotted out. Thanks for your patience and keep reading!_**

**_D.C. Wood (27/03/07)_**


	4. Chapter 4: Chess Schemes

**_Author's Note: I may become a tad unpopular for asking this question but you'll see what I mean. Do you know what the most annoying thing is about the release of KH2: Final Mix+? Don't get me wrong, the inclusion of new scenes, the introduction of these enigmatic soldiers etc are absolutely awesome, but when you've planned something like I have, and then all this new stuff comes along, it kinda makes you have to go over things somewhat and make sure there's no errors in your continuity. I've checked over my plans for this fan fic and MIRACULOUSLY, everything I've planned seems to flow quite nicely with/around the Final Mix+ stuff._**

**_Just thought I'd get that off my chest. On the plus side of things, all these new things in KH2: Final Mix seems to have provided some great additional material for this story. Happy reading!_**

**_D.C. Wood (30/04/07)

* * *

_**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 4: Chess Schemes_**

Twilight Town, DiZ's mansion.

The crimson-masked one sat in the old dining room, lost deep in thought as he waited for Ansem to arrive. In a matter of _hours_, Sora would awaken. And then it could really begin, the war against Organization XIII. All those years, he had had to plan and plan so much.

And he had been forced to _put up_ with so much.

The complication of Sharak, the truce with Vexen and his fellow Organization survivors, the events and ramifications of the reversal of time had all left a very bad taste in DiZ's mouth. But that was all in the past. There was only one thing to focus on. To _look forward_ to.

The future. A future without Organization XII, without Sharak…

Without sins past haunting him.

If any clue as to what DiZ was thinking was visible in his masked expressions, Ansem definitely didn't see one as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. The hooded Ansem stared long and hard at DiZ, at his seemingly unemotional face, wanting to ask him several questions.

"Why did you show him the train?" he asked, referring to Roxas.

"Because he missed the trip to the beach," DiZ replied simply.

"Hmph…that's _almost_ kind of you."

"Now…what about you? Are the holes in your memory starting to fill in?"

"Yes…the haze is clearing."

"The same thing is happening to everyone who had ties to Sora," explained DiZ, knowingly. "Very soon, to them, he'll be like a good friend who's gone away for a year."

Ansem fell silent for a few seconds. Tired of the waiting, he sat down in the chair opposite DiZ and asked him his most dominant question.

"I've waited and _now_ I want to know. What is it that you _want_?"

DiZ paused, his eyes closed and his head lowered. A few seconds later, he looked Ansem squarely in the eyes and gave him his answer.

"_Revenge_."

That wasn't what Ansem really wanted to hear. It made him shiver slightly.

And his fingers clench tightly against the chair's armrest.

"Revenge…" Ansem repeated to himself, painfully remembering.

"Now for the finishing touches," DiZ declared, making his apprentice snap out of his trance, reminding him of what was left to be taken care of. "_First_, we must dispose of Naminé. She did a splendid job with Sora, but it's high time she disappeared. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist."

Still sitting, DiZ edged his head closer towards his apprentice.

"Take care of it, Ansem," he ordered, his voice laden with cold intent.

Ansem's fellow Unknown had had enough. _More_ than enough. The door swung open violently as an obvious means of getting both DiZ and Ansem's attention. It worked. As soon as the enigmatic man set foot in the room, both DiZ and Ansem locked eyes with the man in the black coat.

Another unholy silence filled the room, and again it was brief, but this time, the tension between the Unknown and DiZ made it feel like an eternity. The hooded newcomer kept his breathing and his emotions in check before being the first one to speak.

_Venomously_.

"Now I understand why you wanted to see _him_," he nodded to Ansem, "and not me. I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised. After all…it's been building for some time now, hasn't it?"

DiZ just glared at his other apprentice. It hadn't really surprised him, either. This _had _been coming for a while. It was only natural and expected that the Unknown would resort to eavesdropping.

"This _wasn't_ what we agreed, DiZ. _None _of this was."

"Sora must awaken. You know that."

"No matter the _cost_?!" spat the enigmatic man, furiously. "The end justifies the means?! I was a fool to join forces with you. You're no different from Xemnas."

That comment was blatantly designed to provoke DiZ. The Unknown could tell that he'd touched a nerve by the way DiZ's eyes narrowed evilly at him. But DiZ didn't rise to his feet and yell back at him. Instead, he replied back in a measured tone of voice, "I had no idea you cared so _passionately_ for Nobodies. Especially the ones that took away everything you had."

"Don't you dare try and twist things. Naminé may be a Nobody, but she is also a rogue. _One_ of _us_. And if you are planning to remove her…are you planning on doing the same to _me_? To _him_?!" he yelled, pointing to Ansem. "What will happen when Sora defeats the Organization?! When Hi-Jax destroys Sharak?! Are you planning to erase _them_, too?! Even though they…"

"I _tire_ of this!" interrupted DiZ, standing up out of his chair, finally. "I have my objectives to accomplish just as you have yours. It matters not how different we are. It matters only what we _achieve_. Now…either help or leave."

In the darkness of his hood, the Unknown's eyes narrowed and glared. He clenched his fist in anger as it shook uncontrollably. He looked as though he was going to go berserk and attack DiZ mercilessly. And Ansem didn't really seem as though he was sure he _wanted_ to stop him. The animosity died down, somewhat, though, as the enigmatic man thought better of it and instead looked angrily to his comrade.

"And _you_? What of you?"

"I already told you," Ansem answered. "I'm here to help Sora."

"Regardless of what it's cost you?!" The Unknown did nothing to hide his shock or his disgust.

"Since when did it _matter_ what happened to me?!" Now it was Ansem's turn to stand up out of his chair in anger. "Whatever I had, I threw away! What difference did it make when I became what I am today?"

He then menacingly approached his smaller comrade and looked down at him.

"We're _all_ no ones. Just castaways from the darkness, including _you_. You know that."

The Unknown didn't take his eyes off his fellow apprentice. Ansem _was_ right, and he knew it.

"The past is irrelevant," reminded DiZ, as he walked up to the enigmatic man and stood face-to-face. "Here and now are _not_."

Both DiZ and the Unknown were now literally inches apart from one another.

"Are you fighting the war…" the masked man of mystery impatiently and menacingly wanted to know, "or _aren't_ you?"

Without any hesitation, the enigmatic man replied simply, "_My_ way," turned and left the room, slamming the door on his way out. The impact rattling all the furniture and items in the dining area and making a few pieces of loose plaster fall from the ceiling.

Shortly after he'd gone, Ansem thought about his…_ex_-comrade's protest/outburst. Revenge wasn't what he wanted, either. He had no interest in it. He just wanted to help Sora. But Ansem couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to Naminé. He owed her, after all.

Was he on the right side? He'd told himself that ever since DiZ found him in the darkness. He'd kept telling himself that he was on the right side after everything DiZ had done to try and put things right. Not just with Sora but all the worlds.

But was this just déjà vu all over again? He didn't care about himself, but still…

Just where was this all going?

Ansem then noticed that DiZ was looking at him, most likely since the Unknown had left the room.

"Well?" he asked him, intrigued. "What of _you_?"

Like his ex-colleague, Ansem didn't hesitate with his reply.

"I'll take care of it, DiZ."

…

Everything then became scrambled, a fuzzy static was now all there was.

"_Restoration at 97 percent,"_ the computer informed.

* * *

The sixth day had arrived.

Naminé was sat in front of the giant pod containing the slumbering Sora. She had spent the last half hour looking through her sketch pad, containing some of her drawings of the Keybearer, the important events and people of his life (both 'official' and '_un_official'), and the final image of Sora shaking hands with Roxas, obviously symbolising the completion of the Keyblade master.

Events had now come full circle. All the damage done to Sora and the world had finally been repaired, and the next chapter in the story could finally begin.

Naminé looked long and hard at the last picture she had drawn of Sora and Roxas together. This was a more recent version of the image, unlike the year-old sketch that was posted on the wall in the White Room. _That_ picture was one she had drawn shortly after Sora had first gone to sleep. The theory of Roxas and Sora completing one another in perfect harmony and union. A year on, she had drawn the same picture again, practically identical to the old one in every way.

And she had drawn it from _memory_.

All this time…and she was still one hundred percent faithful to her original vision in every way.

She closed her sketchbook and looked up at Sora. Naminé had promised to look after Sora, Donald and Goofy while they slept. She had promised to restore their true memories after the Castle Oblivion episode. She had promised to make it up to her friends after what she had done to them. What Marluxia and Larxene had forced her to do.

And now her promises had been fulfilled.

Despite what had happened to Terron. What had happened to _Jaron_. The _pain_ those incidents had caused.

And now all that was left was to…

"_Naminé_," the Unknown urgently began as he teleported into the Pod Room, walking up to her as he did so, "you're in danger. We must leave. _Now_."

She stood up out of her chair, confused at first over this change of attitude of her enigmatic comrade. And then slowly started to understand as she gazed into the darkness of his hood.

And her eyes met his.

"I made a mistake," the enigmatic man confessed. "It was wrong of me to trust DiZ. He's no better than the Organization."

"DiZ has a _heart_," Naminé pointed out. "You do, too. Surely you can _understand_…"

"It cost me, everything, Naminé! _Everything_! You _know _that!"

Sadness seemed to fill the young witch's eyes. Her expression was that of a confused little girl who didn't seem to understand why people could hate themselves so much.

"You say that as though you _hate_ your heart…"

That made the man in the black coat stop before he could give his own reply. He looked down at his hand as he placed it on his chest. Considering Naminé's remark for a moment, before removing his hand from his chest, the Unknown looked back up at her and said, "I'm leaving. And…I _want_ you to come with me."

Naminé sighed, closed her eyes briefly and prepared herself to confess the truth.

"Listen to me…"

"_Please_. You're not safe here. DiZ _will_…"

The young witch gently hushed him. The Unknown usually felt so strong and resolute. And yet, with all the things in the world that could silence and humble him…the one thing that was stopping him at this moment in time…was this sweet, seemingly innocent and charming young girl.

"I'm only _half_ a person…"

"I _don't CARE!_" cried the enigmatic man. "I don't care if you're a Nobody! That you don't have a heart! You do to me! You…"

"What you want…" Naminé interrupted, slowly shaking her head in sadness. "I _can't_ give. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist. It's the undisputed truth regarding _all_ Nobodies. Sora needs to be complete. And…he _isn't_ the only one."

This revelation took the Unknown completely aback. And although Naminé didn't have a heart…who and what she was…where and who she had come from…made her very special indeed.

"She doesn't…" the man in the black coat began.

"It's the _only_ way," she dictated. "Roxas and I…our original selves…it's _all_ meant to be. _Not_ us."

The Unknown just stood still, frozen on the spot. He once again placed his hand on his chest for a few seconds. This time, he thought of all Nobodies, thinking of whether not having a heart was a curse or a blessing. He started to envy some of them, how they never had to feel the pain of sorrow and despair. And pity some of them, for being taunted by the never-ending remembrance of what having a heart was like. How you could wish feeling was there…when it wasn't.

"I'm sorry," Naminé confessed, her head lowered in shame over what had just happened, as she walked to a dark portal that she had just opened.

"Truly I am."

The Unknown didn't respond. He didn't even look at the young witch as she and the portal disappeared out of sight. The enigmatic man just stood still on the spot. For several seconds, he did nothing.

It was just him now.

Sora was ready to awaken. So were Donald and Goofy, along with their chronicler, Jiminy Cricket. The party didn't need the Unknown's protection anymore. He had now realised what Naminé just had.

Their work was finished.

"You tried to win a prize that never even existed," DiZ remarked, who had literally just appeared out of nowhere, "yet defied the inevitable, the natural and the expected regardless. Only to fail, as we _all_ knew you would."

The Unknown still didn't respond. He hadn't sensed DiZ's arrival. Or rather, he hadn't bothered to. It didn't matter, anymore.

"Roxas is on his way to the mansion," explained the mysterious masked man. "It is time for Sora to awaken at last. Your services are no longer required."

Another portal opened, this time before the Unknown, who looked over his shoulder, back at DiZ and answered back, "I know. I quit, remember?"

And with that, he left.

* * *

Elsewhere…

It has been said all too many times, that when it rains, it pours.

Figuratively, literally or otherwise.

And in this world, that saying could not be any truer.

This place was simply (and appropriately) called 'Ruination City'.

This was a world that the Heartless had devoured long ago on Sharak's behalf. But like so many things, it was an anomaly, one that was never meant to exist but did regardless. Ruination City was truly a dead world. Even though its heart had long been stolen by the Heartless, the world itself _still_ remained _somehow_, even after the defeat of Xehanort's Heartless and the restoration of all the worlds following his defeat.

Ruination City symbolised all that was negative. A world more alive than dead, yet spiting that fact and just 'hanging on' when it should die. The buildings all derelict, unsafe and hazardous, freak accidents occurring everyday, rain, thunder and lightning hammering down on the city and its inhabitants non-stop every single day and night…

And all that was only the _world_ itself.

The _inhabitants_ were just as bad.

Fugitives, wanted criminals, petty thieves, super villains…even simple arrogant lowlifes made up the population of this very hellish wasteland. It was a prison run by the inmates, where law and order were nothing more than fairy tales. The inhabitants all warred with one another for 'supremacy', even though they were safe from the 'long arm of the law'. There were no such things as 'friends' here. Only enemies. Even the 'citizens' despised one another. Living in an intoxicating, polluting atmosphere full of fear, animosity and mistrust.

Yet there was one thing that united them all.

The hatred for and fear of an enemy they _all_ had in common.

Hi-Jax.

'The place of nightfall' DiZ had called it. And that was a very mild description. After his trial at Castle Oblivion, Hi-Jax had chosen to traverse the valley to total darkness, unflinching, to confront and defeat all his fears and ghosts before going onto face Sharak.

He had hoped that Ruination City was where Sharak would eventually show up. But it had been a whole year now since Castle Oblivion and their inevitable confrontation _still_ hadn't happened yet.

Still, that hadn't stopped Hi-Jax from making himself feel right at home. The last twelve months here had given him a chance to study and accept the 'ugly' half of life. The foul, stinking corruption and vast population of bad, dishonest and unpleasant people. Needless to say, none of this had been in the life he'd been brought up in. It was hardly what he was accustomed to. He himself, formerly Adam, ruler of Castle Mahanah, knew that the very opposite of Ruination City had been taken away from him by the cruel machinations of Organization XIII.

All this darkness…Hi-Jax despised it. But over the last twelve months, he had learnt to embrace it. For it was half of his very _being_. The dark part that needed to exist to balance everything in order to achieve survival.

And the anomaly _had_ learnt to survive in such a harsh, unforgiving environment. He had learnt to master his new powers. He had learnt to bring down so many of Ruination City's crime families, and the Heartless they all used against each other, only to watch other menaces rise to take their place.

Even though Hi-Jax had toppled the likes of the ruthless Fat Cat and his criminal empire, brought down the notorious Beagle family, and slain countless Heartless, it was truly impossible to bring justice here. Ruination City was destined to be like this forever. And Hi-Jax's major victories only succeeded in putting an endless list of bounties on his head.

But it hardly mattered. Heartless and other assassins tried to destroy him _every_ day, at _every_ available opportunity and failed pitifully _every_ time. _No one_ could take him down here. He was the king here, and everyone else knew it. And now, at the age of eighteen, Hi-Jax had nothing left to learn here. He was ready to move on. He tired of all these lowly beings that lived here. He tired of dealing with petty-minded people who were only focused on the small picture.

It was time for Sharak.

But _how_ and _where_ would he start?

It was a question that was the essential fuse that needed to be lit to launch both him and his campaign. He was ready…no, _more than_ ready to go. And looking for the start only fuelled his drive and ambition to begin writing the correct ending to the story.

Here and now.

In the endless night, a bored Hi-Jax couldn't be bothered with the small fry. After going into a vermin-infested bar/restaurant for a meal, and exchanging non-pleasantries with the management, all the customers decided to put aside their differences and go for the teenage anomaly. Hi-Jax made _very _short work of all the rival thugs and the Heartless they sent against him. It was the same old story, except Hi-Jax actually felt that today might provide him with a real test.

The last gang of bandits that Hi-Jax had floored were from Agrabah. Being here for a year and Hi-Jax's ability to look deep into the very beings of people had given him quite an impressive knowledge of various people. This group of bandits were among the infamous 'Forty Thieves', the most notorious in all of Agrabah. They had been pursued by the royal guards for a recent crime, and had successfully managed to escape to Ruination City, thanks to the group leader. The Forty Thieves' second-in-command to be exact.

A vicious, violent brute called Saluk.

He despised his leader, Cassim, and felt that he himself should be in charge. Hi-Jax's reputation preceded him, reaching some worlds. And Saluk felt that bringing the anomaly's head with him back to Agrabah would surely give him the fire he needed to rally support from all the thieves to usurp Cassim's leadership and be rid of him once and for all.

Hi-Jax thought that Saluk might actually provide him with a challenge. He had the aggression and the physique, that was for sure. With his golden claw and surprising speed, Saluk was actually able to tear Hi-Jax's coat sleeve.

But that was all.

Materializing a sword of darkness into his hand, Hi-Jax easily shattered the golden claw off Saluk's left hand, before pointing it to the brute's throat, making him back away. The teenage anomaly then finished the 'confrontation' by withdrawing his sword, smashing a chair over the brute's head and throwing him through a glass window.

Hi-Jax sighed in disappointment.

_Just another musclehead__ after all_, he thought to himself as he picked up his bottle of soda and finished it off. After noting to himself (not really caring) that he was the only one in the bar still _conscious_, let alone _standing_, he had made his leave and was now on his way back to his godforsaken rat hole, which he called his apartment.

Hi-Jax was _still_ bored. And his desire to move forward intensified yet again.

The teenager made his way down the alley, entering the period of 'time out'. Even criminals had to take a break from all this intense warring. And it was moments such as these that gave Hi-Jax a chance to reflect on it all, his life, his past and future…

And to expect trouble. Because he knew these 'time outs' didn't last long. Or were as 'honourable' as the unwritten rule implied.

Experience had taught Hi-Jax that.

Except _this time_…Hi-Jax smelt something that he hadn't smelt in a _year_.

It was a Nobody scent.

He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes narrowed in anger and frustration. The man in the black coat looking down on him from the rooftop knew instantly that Hi-Jax realised that he was being watched. This didn't surprise the Unknown. After all, it was how Vexen's experiment had shaped the boy into what he was today.

However, what happened next _did_ surprise the Unknown. He still had his eyes on Hi-Jax when it happened. Hi-Jax hadn't even moved from his sight when the voice spoke menacingly and disappointingly behind him.

"_Xaldin_…"

The Whirlwind Lancer turned around to see Hi-Jax now standing before him. The teenager grabbed the tall man by the shoulder, bringing him down to his level, and punched him hard in the stomach.

"I really _hate_ being watched…" explained the anomaly, seething as he backhanded the Organization's No. 3 (making his hood fall down in the process) and then kicked him across the rooftop. He landed with a sickening thud and skidded along the cold, hard surface to a halt. Xaldin then looked up to see Hi-Jax summoning his swords of light and dark to his hands.

"And forgetting health and safety regulations really can be _most_ hazardous." Hi-Jax held his swords up high, channelling his power into them to deliver the deathstrike.

"You _really_ should have learnt that."

"I was _not_ sent to monitor _or_ fight you, son of Mahanah," Xaldin explained as he quickly summoned his lances, using his wind powers to further shield himself from the deathstrike. The clash of energies was fierce and intense but it succeeded in protecting Xaldin and knocking Hi-Jax back a few steps.

"That's too bad, Xaldin," remarked the teenage anomaly, as he regained his balance and lunged forward again, thrusting his swords in-between the whirl winding lances, stopping them completely. And then using his swords, Hi-Jax succeeded in tearing Xaldin's protective shield apart, scattering his lances everywhere. The teenager had surprised the Organization member yet again. He knocked Xaldin flat on his back and then pinned him down with his foot, and used his powers to stop him from teleporting away.

Hi-Jax's swords vanished, and then he held his hand out. One of Xaldin's scattered lances flew into the anomaly's grasp, pulled in by his telekinesis. The teenager twirled it spectacularly in his hands before holding it up high, getting it ready to bring down on No. 3's face.

"For _you_," the anomaly declared.

"Aren't you at all curious to know _why_ I was sent to seek you out?" Xaldin asked, knowing that Hi-Jax was too powerful for him to fight against.

"Not particularly."

"So you don't want to move forward after all?"

Hi-Jax's tense muscles, previously poised and ready to strike, relaxed somewhat after Xaldin had said those words.

"I don't need to possess your unique talents to know the obvious," the Whirlwind Lancer explained with a knowing smirk. "You're tired of dealing with these petty, one-dimensional nothings."

"You have nothing to offer me."

"Did I say that I did?"

"You gave me the implication," Hi-Jax retorted in a smart-alec sort of way. "You have ten seconds to say something that will make me spare your fraudulent life."

Xaldin noted Hi-Jax's muscles tensing themselves again, readying to strike. And the Anomaly's powers were stopping the Nobody from mounting any kind of counter-attack or escape. He was helpless.

Regardless of this, Xaldin wasn't afraid. How could he be? Besides, he wasn't Vexen. He wouldn't beg for mercy like that cringe-coward had before Axel terminated him. And anyway, Xaldin knew how to handle this.

"The Superior wants to speak with you."

"You're saying that as though I'd _care_. Five seconds left."

"Such recklessness. You're obviously not ready to take Sharak on."

"Three, two, one…"

"Don't you want to know what's happened whilst you've been here?" asked Xaldin, curiously. "The situation has changed once more, Hi-Jax. Sora, Sharak, the Heartless…they're all on the rise again. Nothing's coming to you. _You_ have to go to _them_. And _we_ can point you in the right direction. Depending of course…on whether or not you're willing to listen to reason."

"A transparently vain attempt to save your own hide, Xaldin," sighed Hi-Jax in disappointment. "It's called 'Please don't kill me! I'll tell you anything!'" The teenage anomaly said that last part as a means to mock the Whirlwind Lancer. "It's a very tired and feeble tactic. And annoyingly…"

Hi-Jax brought down the lance hard and fast as he impaled it…

Into the ground, only inches apart from Xaldin's head.

"It's one that _works_," finished the anomaly. "_Every_ time."

Hi-Jax removed his boot from No. 3's chest and allowed him to get up. Once he was upright, Xaldin caught the lance that was grudgingly thrown back to him. This made Xaldin smirk.

"You _have _grown up, after all, exile," remarked the cruel, ruthless Organization member, as he made his lance (and the other five scattered across the ground) disappear. "Perhaps you _hiding_ for a year in this forever-decaying wasteland _wasn't_ a waste of our time and resources."

"Get to the point, Nobody," snapped Hi-Jax, not at all fazed by the Whirlwind Lancer's taunt. "If Xemnas wants to talk to me, then I'll talk to him. Not to one of his glorified kamikazes."

"As you wish. He wants to see you _immediately_. He awaits you at your hideout as we speak."

Xaldin conjured up a portal and gestured towards it, bowing and smiling respectfully to Hi-Jax

"So…shall we?"

* * *

"Oh, man! You cheated!" protested Demyx, folding his arms and looking the other way, sulking in a very childish manner.

"Nonsense," smiled Luxord in cool and controlled victory, showing his cards to the Melodious Nocturne. "I am not at all like that talentless, abominable bag of multiplied deviousness and cheats. I _always _play with a sense of honour, decency and tactical brilliance. Oogie Boogie only relied on shallow trickery. And that does nothing but taint strategy, and shamelessly smear the art of gambling."

Hi-Jax's apartment was very spacious indeed. It was a little worse for wear, what with all the cracks in the walls, broken windows, rotting floorboards, faulty wiring, and trashed furniture, but for Hi-Jax it sufficed. It was more fuel for his survival in and acceptance of the dark side of life.

Luxord chuckled, revelling in his cards victory over Demyx, while Saïx stared out of the window, looking up to the sickeningly pale moon, basking in its awful light, letting its power take him over, as though he was _breathing_ it in, his addiction wanting to be satiated. Xigbar, on the other hand, didn't know whether to be amused, impressed, disappointed or ashamed by the collection of large photos that were pinned up along the wall. There were thirteen pictures in total, each of the individual members of the Organization. They were all in order, starting with Xemnas and ending with Roxas.

And the photos were damaged.

Knives, forks, shuriken, meat cleavers, darts: many sharp objects were impaled into the giant pictures of Organization members. Giant red crosses had been painted over the members that were deceased. Yet, Hi-Jax had still thrown many a sharp object at their pictures, showing that he would gladly spit on their graves given the opportunity.

Xigbar chuckled in admiration when he noticed that Larxene's picture was the most damaged. It had more sharp objects thrown at it than any other photo. Vexen's was the second most damaged, which Xigbar understood. But Roxas' photo surprised Xigbar surprised most of all.

It was completely undamaged, the only one that Hi-Jax hadn't even _touched_.

In fact, it was pretty much in _mint_ condition as far as Xigbar could tell.

It was predictable that Hi-Jax had learnt most of if not all which was needed to know about Organization XIII in the past twelve months. Maybe because DiZ had secretly told him their secrets after their truce ended, or maybe Hi-Jax had done some undercover work of his own. In any case, none of the Organization members had anticipated on the exile of the Imbalance of Reality to have learnt the truth about Roxas.

_Maybe that's why the little runt is so soft on our runaway Keybearer_, thought the Freeshooter. _'Cause he reminds him so much of Sora. And Mahanah's oldest son was denied so much, just like Roxas. That's SOOOOOOOO poetically, sickeningly pathetic._

And finally, Xemnas was standing by Hi-Jax's bedside table, his eyes focused on one particular item. It was a framed photo of Adam, ruler of Castle Mahanah, standing outside his castle on a beautiful, heavenly morning. He was proud and happy, standing with his wife, Eilera, who was cradling their child, a beautiful baby girl who they named Katherine, after Adam and Jaron's late mother.

The reason why the Organization's leader was so fascinated with this picture was because of what it signified. This was obviously taken before the reversal of time. Everything in Adam's life had been completely undone following Sharak's destruction. Meaning that Hi-Jax had used his powers to conjure up this picture from _nothingness_.

Xemnas had become extremely fascinated by this sign of enormous potential. If Vexen's calculations actually paid off after all this time, than Sharak's destruction would be assured.

_Finally_, thought the Superior. _It's about time the prehistoric carnivore was made extinct. And when Hi-Jax surpasses his limits…it's highly possible that he can do anything he and we desire. Hi-Jax, Sharak, Ruination City…all these different anomalies…they are amazing. Maybe I should do what my counterpart and original self did. Perhaps I should document these recent events in another report._

Xemnas' thoughts were cut short when he noticed Hi-Jax and Xaldin walking out of the closing portal and into the apartment. All the Organization members stopped what they were doing to turn their attention to Hi-Jax, who responded with an icy glare at each of them. All had their hoods up, including Xaldin (who had put his back up when him and Hi-Jax had entered the portal).

"Ah," remarked Luxord in admiration as he retrieved his cards. "The _second, real_ Saviour cometh…_at last_."

"Has anyone ever told you you're a loquacious bore?" asked Hi-Jax casually.

Demyx hesitantly decided to make a rebuttal, standing up and pointing at the anomaly in a non-intimidating fashion.

"Y-you really shouldn't disrespect your elders like that, you naughty, little…!"

Hi-Jax just slowly turned his head to face the Organization's No. 9. The silent, ominous expression on his face made Demyx lower his finger and back away in 'fear'.

"Boo," was all Hi-Jax said in response. It was completely devoid of any intimidation effort, yet Demyx seemed to panic and tremble, as he scurried backwards like a mouse.

"Now, _really_," tutted Xigbar in disappointment, as he moved away from the Organization gallery and casually towards the teenage anomaly. "That's not a very nice way to treat your guests, is it? How about a nice simple, 'Hey, how've ya been?'"

Hi-Jax just stared at the Freeshooter.

"Come on! Learning a few manners really isn't that hard. So, how about it?"

Hi-Jax still remained silent.

"Giving me the cold shoulder by staying silent, huh? Thinking that's gonna upset me? As if!"

"I don't _need_ to upset you," replied the anomaly, still stone-faced for a few seconds more. Before a slow, creepy grin spread across his face as he furthered, "Running away is _such_ an uncontrollable habit of yours, isn't it? Regardless of whether you cry or not."

Xigbar paused for a second, glaring at the eighteen-year-old menacingly.

"I don't runaway from _anything_, exile," the Organization's No. 2 slowly said, his arrogant voice helping to make himself clear. "Never _have_…never _will_."

"Are you sure?" taunted Hi-Jax, still smirking. "I think Roxas saw differently, didn't he? How's your eye by the way, scarface?"

Xigbar sharply summoned one of his shooting katars and pointed it squarely at the teenager's forehead. Hi-Jax didn't even flinch at the Nobody's response. He still had that taunting smirk on his face.

"Touched a nerve, I think."

"As if!" argued Xigbar, withdrawing his gun arrow. "You're not the…"

"I don't have to be. And I don't even have to know _who_. I just take solace in that I'm right when I say that you're a grade 'A' pu…"

"Such vindictiveness," remarked Saïx, taking the right moment to withdraw from basking in the moonlight and step into the conversation. "For someone who's supposed to be perfectly balanced, caught between light and dark, you certainly seem to favour the dark more."

"Neither force influences me," rebutted Hi-Jax, simply. "I'm a puppet to nothing and no-one."

"So you _say_," the Luna Diviner persisted, cocking his head slightly. "But you have been appointed with a task, son of Mahanah. If you're not a puppet to your mission, your past and your very being…then what are you?"

"A _player_," he explained, starting to tire of all this. "With objectives to achieve. And one of those is to see all vermin like you stomped out once and for all."

"'Vermin?'" asked Xemnas, sounding shocked and pretending to be hurt as he walked up to Hi-Jax. "That really was uncalled for."

"Don't pretend you're hurt in front of me," snapped the teenager. "You monsters don't even know _how _to feel anything."

"What I _really_ don't understand…" the Superior confessed in a confused tone that Hi-Jax interpreted as mocking, "is if _we_ are supposed to be vermin…why are _you_ the one who has chosen to live in this cesspool of a world for the last twelve months? Hiding from your destiny?"

All the Organization members then proceeded to laugh tauntingly at Hi-Jax. Armed with a stone-faced expression once again, the anomaly thrust his hand out, reaching for Xemnas' hood. Although he was just standing still where he was, Hi-Jax's telekinesis pulled down the Chief Unknown's hood revealing his long, spiky silver hair, his menacing orange eyes and his calm, yet sinister facial features.

This made all the Unknowns stop laughing. Now, all their eyes were locked onto Hi-Jax as he swiftly turned his attention to each of the Nobodies, his telekinesis making each of their hoods fall down, revealing their faces.

"Probably the same reason why you choose to scurry like rats when the odds aren't in your favour," Hi-Jax turned to Xemnas, answering his question. "The same reason you choose to hide from _your _destiny underneath those ridiculous hoods. You know…the destiny where you all fade back into darkness."

Xemnas and Hi-Jax were now only a few feet apart from one another, both sets of eyes narrowed in contempt for the other. The other Organization members stood arranged in a circle surrounding the two.

"Now, what do you want?"

"I want _many_ things, Hi-Jax," confessed Xemnas, turning away from him to look out the window, contemplating it all. "I want all Nobodies to be whole again. I want an end to all these nuisances that are constantly hampering the rate of progression. And I want _you_…fighting for a great cause, a brand new and _better_ world. With _us_."

Hi-Jax glared evilly at the Superior for several seconds before giving his answer, affirmative and resolute.

"NEVER."

Xigbar and the others burst out laughing at the teenager's response, while Xemnas closed his eyes, lowered his head and chuckled fondly.

"Never is a _very_ long time."

Xemnas' chuckling then evolved into the same level of mocking laughter of his subordinates. For a moment, Hi-Jax remained stone-faced and silent before smirking and starting to snigger himself. Demyx was the first to notice and, puzzled, stopped laughing. The others soon followed suit, until Hi-Jax's laughter was the only sound occupying the apartment. The anomaly's laughter was truly haunting, and the Nobodies recognised it as _him_ now mocking _them_.

Several seconds later, Hi-Jax settled down as his face swiftly changed back into a deadly glare at the Organization's leader, who had turned round to face him once again.

"I can _wait_," snapped the teenager. "Now answer the question. And try to answer it _properly_."

"As you wish, son of Mahanah," nodded Xemnas, respectfully. "I want you to stop killing yourself, I want you to stop killing Organization XIII, I want you to stop killing the worlds…and above all else…I want you to stop killing life itself."

Nothing was said for the next several seconds. The only sounds occupant were the thunder and rain outside, and the water dripping down the broken windows and sill, and through the ceiling.

Hi-Jax walked up to Xemnas, not betraying any sign of what he might do. Now only a distance of _inches_ between them, the anomaly replied in a frighteningly calm and controlled voice.

"Get out. Now."

"You choose to deny your sins?" asked a surprised Xemnas, raising an eyebrow.

"_What_ sins?" yawned Hi-Jax. "If you've haven't got anything better to do than play mind games, then I suggest you get lost while you still can."

"Saïx already explained it to you. You have a job to do. And you've had a year to get it done. And instead of doing it, you've endangered the entire world by allowing Sharak to live."

"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you," dismissed the anomaly, turning his back on the Superior and walking over to the fridge to get a drink. "You're not the boss of me."

"So that's it then, is it?" asked the Nobodies' leader, relentless. "You're perfectly content with the fact that _you_ have let Sharak continue to cause havoc and ruin upon all the worlds?"

"Don't try to make me the bad guy. As I recall, it was _your _Organization and DiZ that brought Sharak back in the first place."

"After _you_, Sora and all your friends destroyed him in the first place, causing the imbalance. And those ramifications that needed to be undone."

"Now, now, now," retorted Hi-Jax, wagging his finger at the Superior as he took a swig from his soda bottle. "Don't try to make yourself look the innocent party. Exploiting life itself, defying nature and manipulating and destroying everything you touch. You're no different from Sharak. And you've proven that time and time again."

"The _difference _is this, punk," explained Xigbar. "Sharak is a mad dog that needs to be put down. He destroys and destroys until everyone admits that the world is his. He's a tired concept. You of all people _know_ that. And answer us this; what exactly was the awful thing that _we_ did? What-what did _we_ do?"

Xigbar shrugging his shoulders in ignorance _almost_ sent Hi-Jax into a frenzy. He wanted to decapitate the Freeshooter on the spot for that comment. But he remembered that that kind of reaction belonged to the _old_ him. That which was no more.

Instead, the anomaly turned to him and replied, "It doesn't surprise me that you've forgotten, Xigbar. Fickle, lazy, turns out nothing but cheap insults, doesn't contribute anything of value to the Organization…reminds me of…"

"All we did was do what reality decreed," explained Saïx, coming forward. "Would you have really wanted to allow reality to be sent to oblivion? Just so you could stay happy in your dying?"

"You can justify what you all did until the day you perish. It doesn't change the fact that you took my life away, pulled me apart into several pieces and reassembled me into a weapon. You're trying to use me just like Marluxia and Larxene tried to use Sora, and like Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion tried to use Riku. You're all psychotic, you kill each other and you mess up our worlds."

Hi-Jax finished with a snort of contempt.

"You're _all_ even more like children than me, Sora, Riku and everyone else."

"We are _exactly_ like you, son of Mahanah," pointed out Xemnas. "Everything taken away from us. Shunned by both light and dark, yet caught-up and victimised in their selfish war. Never given a choice…"

"Yes, you were," snapped the anomaly venomously. "We _all_ have a choice. To either do good or do bad. And no matter how much you deny it…the fact remains you chose to do evil."

A smile spread across Xemnas' face again, looking as though he was about to erupt into laughter. And remind Hi-Jax that he didn't care about what he and the Organization had done in pursuit of their cause.

"Now, if you _have_ got something worthwhile to tell me," dictated Hi-Jax, having had more than enough of these mind games, "then out with it. If you want me to go after Sharak, then show me the way. If you're here to brainwash me, fight me or manipulate me, then make your move. Otherwise…there's no point in you being here, is there?"

Xemnas chuckled fondly.

"You know we'd never interfere in your agenda, Hi-Jax. Why would we? There's no need."

Xemnas opened the portal and the Organization members all pulled their hoods up and began to make their leave. The Superior, his hood still down, stayed behind along with Xigbar for a little longer.

"Although, you should know that Sharak has taken over Castle Oblivion. He's using it to rebuild his forces and recruit warriors from other worlds."

"You lost your headquarters _as well_? Tsk, tsk, tsk," smiled Hi-Jax, shaking his head and not in the least bit surprised. "This _Dis_organization of yours really is something, isn't it, Xemnas? First all those traitors, and now this. How's _Axel_, by the way? I noticed that he…"

"Keep laughin', short-stuff," put in Xigbar. "'Cos now, you're gonna have to stop flappin' your jaw and start _working_."

"Like _you_, you mean, slacker? As if!"

Turning back to Xemnas, Hi-Jax asked, "So what _worlds_ is he visiting?"

"See for _yourself_," the Superior pointed to another portal that he had opened on the other side of the room. "The path before, like your own existence, is very separate from everyone else's. Yet will cross over to the mainstream. It is inevitable and natural."

Hi-Jax stared long and hard at the dark gateway, knowing that it wasn't a trap. But he did know that Organization XIII was using him. That was what they wanted ever since the time reversal. Regardless of this knowledge, Hi-Jax was more than eager to play Xemnas' game. After all, it meant getting out of Ruination City, away from the status quo and the road towards the destruction of Sharak and Organization XIII. The road towards his long awaited reunion with his friends. And hopefully his family.

So what if there were unseen strings being pulled? Huge obstacles blocking the way? That was to be expected.

All that mattered was getting on with it.

But before he did…

Hi-Jax turned one last time to Xemnas and narrowed his eyes, focusing hard. And then harder. And harder. Getting more and more confused with each passing second.

He had done it before. When his powers had evolved, he had been able to look deep into the very beings of others, knowing them intimately. Their secrets, their plans; whatever Hi-Jax wanted to know, anything and everything they had to tell.

The anomaly's powers had developed to staggering levels. Even more so than twelve months ago during his first display. And yet…Hi-Jax couldn't see anything in Xemnas. He had no secrets to tell, nothing to read. Hi-Jax then sharply turned to Xigbar trying to discover the Organization's plans through him, but the results were the same.

This didn't make sense. Hi-Jax still had this power to 'read' the secrets and details of others, he knew it. And he had been able to use this ability on Vexen, Axel, Larxene and DiZ in the past. And he had used it considerably to help him bring down the criminals of Ruination City over the last year.

_So why can't I read these jokers?_ thought the anomaly, extremely puzzled. _This is the second time this is happened._

"Vexen _did _know what the word 'counter-measure' meant, mister Hi-Jax," laughed Xigbar. "He took into account that you have no manners."

_Meaning that Nobodies are immune to my telepathy, in other words. Shame._

Xemnas waved his hand, dismissing Xigbar. The Freeshooter complied with his leader's orders, turning to leave. As he entered the Organization's gateway, No. 2 looked over his shoulder back at Hi-Jax and said, "Speaking of Vexen, nice to see you're keeping his memory alive. And Larxene's for that matter. Just remember one thing about the dearly departed, Hi-Jax. Absence makes the heart grow _fonder_."

"How would you know, pretender? By the way, I look forward to the day when I can cross you off, _Xigbar_."

Xigbar just chuckled and waved back as he faded out of sight. Xemnas smiled and nodded respectfully, pulling his hood back up and turning to join his servants. Before he set foot in the portal, he stopped and smiled evilly to himself, deciding to torture Hi-Jax with one last thought.

"One other thing…did you know Sora will awaken very, very soon?"

That piece of news made Hi-Jax's eyes widen in shock. A few seconds after Xemnas had gone, the only thing Hi-Jax could say…

…was, "What?"

He turned back to the row of Organization pictures. He focused on the image of Roxas. The news of his existence had truly shocked him. It had been six months after the Castle Oblivion affair when he saw DiZ again. He had told Hi-Jax what he needed to know about Organization XIII, the loss of their members, the fate of Sora and Riku, their main headquarters situated in The World That Never Was…

No doubt as a means to further prepare him for the road ahead. Obviously, DiZ had his own investment in Hi-Jax. He'd helped Vexen's survivors with Hi-Jax's evolution, after all. He wanted Sharak gone but unlike the Nobodies, DiZ seemed to be actually guiding the teenage outsider, not blatantly manipulating him.

Emphasis _seemingly _guiding him.

Hi-Jax had questioned DiZ about what he really wanted. If Roxas was the Nobody of Sora, was Xemnas the Nobody of the deceased Ansem, seeker of darkness? It would explain the strong resemblance. How had Organization XIII been founded in the first place? Where was Sharak? Was Jaron still alive? Was his home?

DiZ hadn't told him any of those things. Instead, he had explained that Sora, Donald and Goofy had been transferred to his mansion in Twilight Town, where they would be looked after until their memories were restored. Roxas would be needed to complete Sora so he could awaken. DiZ had suggested that Hi-Jax spend his time focusing on the road ahead. The need for answers would provide the extra-added incentive to carry out what he was required to do.

DiZ's response angered Hi-Jax somewhat. When he insinuated that the masked man was manipulating him, DiZ laughed, somewhat affectionately, "Believe whatever you want to believe. It is your choice." Hi-Jax had tried to look into DiZ's heart again for answers, only to fail. His experience with the Organization had now revealed that DiZ also had found a way to block his gift of foresight.

_Figures,_ realised Hi-Jax, snapping back to the present. He took out a red marker out of his coat pocket and crossed out Roxas' picture. He threw away the marker away and looked sad. The reason why Hi-Jax hadn't inflicted any damage on Roxas' picture was because he reminded him so much of Sora. Hi-Jax had hypothesised that because of Sora's relatively short time as a Heartless, Roxas' memories of his past life couldn't resurface. And the Organization deceivers wouldn't tell him a thing. They saw him as merely a precious toy because he had the Keyblade in his possession.

_And if Sora has finally awoken,_ sighed Hi-Jax. _Then that means poor Roxas won't exist anymore._

Sharak was rebuilding his forces, and the Keybearer and the King's followers would once more have to contend with Organization XIII. DiZ's mysterious motives, his instructions of not interfering in Sora's quest at the risk of creating yet another Imbalance of Reality, all the pain he had suffered…everything from Hi-Jax's past rattled in his head.

It was time.

Time to end Sharak once and for all.

Maybe partaking on his own quest, separate from the main story, would finally spell the happy ending he'd been longing for.

_Maybe_.

The eighteen-year-old looked long and hard at the portal. New worlds lay ahead. Worlds as a child he had never heard of. Worlds that the Council of Light hadn't told him of. Worlds that even Sora wouldn't get the chance to visit. This was Hi-Jax's quest now. He would doubtless meet his own cast of new friends and new enemies, with doubtless links to his past inevitably making themselves known.

With Sharak waiting at the end.

Hi-Jax took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, let go of all the things that were holding him back, and set off into the portal. To the first of brave new worlds.

* * *

Twilight Town.

Roxas had finally remembered everything about his past, including his affiliation with Organization XIII, his battle with Riku and his capture at DiZ's hands. And he had also discovered the truth.

Sharak had been right. Roxas had been living a lie.

All because of DiZ.

They were both now in the Pod Room, the Key of Destiny with his weapon in hand, and armed with a menacing glare aimed in direction of DiZ.

"I hate you so much…" seethed No. 13.

"You should share some of that hatred with Sora," DiZ casually suggested. "He's far too nice for his own good."

"NO! My heart belongs to me!"

Roxas no longer cared if this was only a simulation of DiZ. He ran up to it anyway and slashed through the illusion to spite DiZ again, to express his desire to see him dead. The hologram disappeared and a second later, the giant capsule finally opened to the accompaniment of loud gears. The petals opened slowly to reveal, in the mist of sleep, Roxas' original self floating inside.

"Sora…"

Roxas' arm went limp, still holding the Keyblade. He knew that there was nothing left for him here. Naminé was gone, his 'friends', 'home' and 'life in Twilight Town' were all fictitious. There was only one place to go.

"You're lucky," Roxas told Sora, wanting desperately to cry out of sadness. "Looks my summer vacation is…over."

…

…

"You've lost everything in such a short time, haven't you?" remarked Sharak, "Your friends, your family, your home, your…"

"My home?!"

"Yes, human. The Destiny Islands now belongs to me. You've failed your mission just as you've failed at everything else in your pitiful existence. With you beaten, this universe is now mine for the taking. After so long, the reign of Sharak can finally begin anew."

"You're wrong!" argued Sora, "I may have failed everyone I ever loved but I'm only a failure if I give up! I can still stop you!"

"Oh, really?" replied Sharak as he went back to choking Kairi.

"Kairi!"

"I cannot believe this!" roared Sharak as he altered his hands into sai blades and tried to impale the Keybearer, "I killed you. You came back to life. I had you at my mercy many times over and you still refuse to go to the world of death. WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO DIE?!"

"Because that's what you want", replied Sora as he viciously punched Sharak in the face, "And I'll NEVER give you what you want. I'LL NEVER LET YOU WIN!"

Sharak's refusal to accept what was happening drove him totally over the edge of sanity. He laughed and laughed as Sora struck him again and again. After a few more minutes had passed, Sharak's laughs turned into screams for the umpteenth time as Sora impaled the Keyblade through Sharak and light "sizzled" out of him like electricity. The creature then turned around to the keyhole to notice darkness was still pouring out of it. He grunted and seethed in pain as he staggered towards it. The emperor only took a few steps before falling flat on his face.

The evil red light in Jaron's eyes flickered and then ultimately faded. He closed his eyes and then opened them up again. They were back to normal. No longer under Sharak's control, the Saviour looked in horror to see the bull creature charging towards the Keybearer at top speed.

"SORA!" yelled Jaron as he ran over to push him out of harm's way, "LOOK OUT!!!"

The Keybearer looked to see Sharak drawing closer and closer towards him. He closed his eyes and braced for the worse. But then opened them up again when Jaron pushed him out of the way and took the charge for him. Sora looked on in horror as Jaron screamed more painfully than he had ever done before. The bull's horns gored the Saviour and sent him crashing through the wall out into the open air.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!! I DEFY YOU!!! YOU ARE INFERIOR TO ME!!! I AM THE SUPERIOR OF ALL!!! I AM THE EMPEROR OF EVERYTHING!!! I AM THE SOURCE OF ALL DARKNESS!!!"

The creature then took a deep breath and unleashed a voice that bellowed from the depths of hell.

**"I…AM…SHARAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

With that, all of the immense light exploded from the door. Sharak was easily disintegrated by the light that wiped him out without giving him a chance to scream.

"See what I mean?" asked the source of all darkness in pain, "You can't…EVER…be…rid…of darkness. It…exists…always. It…can…never…be…destroyed."

"You're wrong, Sharak", said Sora. The Keybearer had opened the door. That stage was now over. Sora knew what he had to do to prevent Sharak from forever returning. He held his hands over his heart and a powerful light emerged from it. One that consumed Sharak.

"AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!" screamed the emperor, "How? Why is the impossible happening?!"

"Dead wrong!" finished Sora. The source of all darkness gradually faded.

"No!" yelled Sharak, "I was so close! SO…VERY…CLOSE!!!"

His mad screams echoed for the last time. The source of all darkness disappeared like he never ever existed. The light coming from Sora's heart faded. Everyone smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

At last, it was finally over.

…

…

Roxas stood still silently, thinking about how all those memories regarding Sharak had finally come back. Including his own destructions at the monster's hands. Among other things that shouldn't have happened yet did anyway.

Looking back up to Sora, Roxas told him, "Not even Naminé could stop me from forgetting _him_, Sora. It's only a matter of time till you remember him as well. It's only a matter of _time_."

The Keyblade faded away out of Roxas' grasp. And then he closed his eyes, his body turning transparent, growing fainter and fainter, his feet lifting off the floor, as Sora subconsciously took his Nobody back into himself. They both began to merge, and the pod closed to begin the unification of the two Keybearers, allowing Sora to finally awaken.

* * *

Elsewhere, in another world…

The man sat all alone in his office, leaning back peacefully in his chair and the tips of his fingers and thumbs pressed together in controlled delight. The funds had been successfully transferred and accepted, all the property was now legally owned by him and officially part of his empire, his crews had worked phenomenally hard to make sure that his new skyscraper (taller than any other) was finished on time, and in exactly five hours time, it would be nightfall.

_Yes, things seem to be going quite smoothly, _the businessman smiled. _Now it all depends on them._

"_Mister Xanatos?" _came a voice over the intercom. _"You're two 'o' clock is here."_

"Owen," he replied, confused, "I told you to tell all my clients that something extremely important has come up and I've regretfully had to cancel all appointments over the next few days. You told me that they all understood perfectly. And I know for a fact that I never had a two 'o' clock appointment scheduled for today, anyway."

"_Quite true, Mister Xanatos. But for some very odd reason, our records show that this 'appointment' was apparently booked six weeks ago._"

Xanatos raised an eyebrow. Curious and suspicious, he asked, "'Apparently?'"

"_This…person, hooded and dressed in black, and her…'bodyguards' are most insistent that__ this appointment was truthfully and honestly booked six weeks ago."_

The businessman couldn't help but let an impressed smile dominate his face.

"I presume they wish to talk business?"

"_Of course."_

"Then if they say they have an appointment," pointed out Xanatos, innocently, "than the only proper thing to do is for me to meet them as planned. Please send them in."

"_The girl says her 'bodyguards' will remain outside as a gesture of good faith. In fact…they're leaving. Right now, as a matter of fact."_

"Very well."

Xanatos amazingly didn't find this development in the least bit odd. There was certainly nothing odd about this latest business venture of his. So why should this turn of events be any different?

Although, Xanatos couldn't help but wonder, _'Girl'…?_

His right-hand man, Owen Burnett, entered the room with indeed a girl dressed in a black coat in tow. Xanatos just stared at the arrival curiously.

"Your 'two 'o' clock', Mister Xanatos."

"Thank you, Owen," he dismissed. The Unknown nodded respectfully towards Burnett as he left, who raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what to make of her. As Burnett closed the doors behind him on his way out, the enigmatic girl turned to Xanatos, who still hadn't taken his eyes off her. Standing up out of his chair, Xanatos smiled welcomingly as he walked up to greet the newcomer.

"If you're good enough to get in here on a day when what I say…_usually_ goes, my dear, then clearly you have something to say that is worth my time."

"As doubtless you have something that is worth _our_ time, David Xanatos," the Unknown said professionally and somewhat unemotionally. "Perhaps we could come to some sort of…arrangement? Quickly, though. Given how short we are of time."

"My sentiments exactly, miss…?" Xanatos offered his hand, which the Unknown accepted.

"Ilxsa," she introduced. "Just…Ilxsa, the Darkest Exile."

* * *

Hollow Bastion.

"Wow," said a sarcastic Shego. "Secret underground lab complex. Y'know, Drakken shows me these things in 'Supervillain Weekly' all the time. Talks about them to death."

"Do not mock this," advised Sharak. Both were standing in the Heartless Factory of the yet undiscovered laboratory. "Ansem and his apprentices possessed great intellect, refinement and foresight. This is where my Heartless were reborn here. And it is _below_ us…where the link to the past…and the road to the future…were both kept alive."

Shego looked to her master, raising an eyebrow.

"An underground lab underneath an underground lab? Isn't that stretching things somewhat?"

Sharak just chuckled.

"Perhaps…but if there's one thing I've learnt about Xehanort after all this time…it's that there was infinitely more than one layer to him. Maybe more like me than I would ever choose to admit."

Sharak's eyes reddened as he raised his arms high. Machinery started to hum, the spot where the creature stood lit up brightly and then part of the floor opened up to reveal a pathway to the very depths of Hollow Bastion that spiralled downwards.

Shego whistled to indicate she was impressed, and followed behind her silent, determined employer. Who was already on his way to the place that Xemnas had built shortly after the original Ansem had been dethroned and banished.

"So many aims Xehanort/Ansem/Xemnas and I share. We all could've accomplished so much together," Sharak explained to Shego. "He genuinely impressed me. Which is why after I was reborn the first time, only to discover that my children were now the instruments of his will, I allowed it. When he was destroyed and I resurrected him to be my ally in my bid for Kingdom Hearts, I did so because together I knew we would be invincible. But when Ansem turned on me, he spelt it out to me that it was never meant to be."

"I thought you said that the reason why in that reality Ansem turned on you because the light in Kingdom Hearts had changed him," Shego pointed out. "Not because of power play."

"True," acknowledged Sharak, "but it still spelt it out for me regardless. And after everything Xemnas has done since his return…"

Shego was going to ask more 'smart-alec' questions about how Sharak had attacked Xemnas first and only favoured the Heartless incarnation of Xehanort because he didn't like Nobodies. But she then quickly remembered that her boss now wasn't Drakken. So, she wisely decided not to be flippant for the sake of her health, and keep quiet and professional.

Sharak just shook his head in dismissal as they both carried on down the long, dark path. The decorative patterns and flowing dark shades of red, purple and black clearly Organization work.

"No…he has shown that he is an insolent, little usurper who must now pay the price."

After a few minutes of walking, Sharak and Shego finally reached the bottom of the spiralling pathway. They entered the vast corridor to see the rows of cells on the opposing walls. Sharak's eyes narrowed in approval as Shego rolled down her glove to look at her digital watch. She pressed a button on the side and the time faded to be replaced by a video image of Drakken.

"Okay, we've found what we're _really_ looking for," she reported. "Patching you through into the system down here."

Shego took a device out of her pocket and attached it to the security panels next to one of the cell doors. She switched it on, and a red light started to flicker. A few seconds later, it turned green and 'beeped' rather pleasantly.

"_Accessing now,"_ Drakken informed. _"Excellent. System accessed. We can read off the guest list."_

Sharak wasn't paying attention. He was lost in thought as he looked at the door at the far end of the corridor. The room containing Xemnas' 'friend'…or to be exact, Sharak's mortal enemy. Before Sora, before Jaron and Adam…

"The Room of Sleep," whispered Sharak to himself, fiercely. "The friend of my enemy is my enemy…"

"Boss," informed Shego, making the creature snap out of his trance. "Drakken's finished. There's only three down here, by the way."

"Just so long as _some_ of Xehanort's rejects and lab rats are still alive, that's all that matters," he replied, turning his attention back to the matter at hand. "Then we can mould them into new recruits. Who exactly do we have?"

"_Intel reads that __the first contestant goes by the name of Karall," explained Drakken. "Apparently, a notorious criminal that was sentenced to life by Ansem the Wise. Was one of the apprentices' very first test subjects in experimenting with the darkness of the heart. Because of the early testing, the result was not a Heartless, but apparently a creature which can feed off darkness and enslave others like a…a…"_

Drakken gulped in fright, struggling to read out the last part.

"_Vampire!"_ he squeaked childishly, trying hard not to wet himself.

"How very interesting," approved the emperor, digging his claws deep into the door, making it creak and crumple.

"_Do you…do you think it bites?"_ asked Drakken nervously. Shego just placed her hand over her face in exasperation over the mad scientist's stupidity.

"It's my sincerest hope that he does," Sharak sniggered evilly for a moment. Then he impressively ripped the cell door away, tossing it just as spectacularly to one side. A few seconds after he'd done so, a silence followed. Then an insidious growling. Flickering, ominous yellow eyes. And then the bellowing, bloodthirsty scream of the carnivorous Karall (decorated in self-inflicted scars and self-ravaged clothing) as he flew out of his cell, coming for Sharak, who just effortlessly flung him to one side.

"Food…FOOD!!!" he bellowed, salivating disgustingly as he shot up to his feet. Shego generated her green concussive/thermal energy into her fists, getting ready to protect her leader. Sharak gestured for her to stand down, while he approached Karall slowly.

"Don't bite the hand that can feed you, Karall," he advised sympathetically. "Why don't you instead bite the hand…and all the other body parts…of the one that made you?"

This made the vampire calm down somewhat. He slowly stood up, beginning to remember. All the pain, all the agony, the consuming desire to get even with his captors and tormentors…the shattered remnants of his rotting mind finally starting to reassemble themselves after ten years of being imprisoned in that cell.

"X-Xehanort…?" he asked, remembering the name of his foremost tormentor.

"I can help you get even. _More_ than even. And give you a purpose and a place beyond that. I can _save_ you. Join us."

The sickly-pale, deathly white Karall looked into Sharak's eyes. His animal instincts knew that this one was different, regardless of his greater intimating appearance. He could feed him, and help him get even with Xehanort and his lackeys. Maybe even Ansem the Wise. He was the one who had sentenced him in the first place!

"W…will…follow. Hunnnggrrryyyyyy…"

"Welcome to the empire," nodded Sharak. "Drakken?"

"_Erm…yes, anyway…!"_ Drakken was trying desperately to take his mind off the new recruit. He somehow managed to stop tugging at his collar and focus on the second prisoner, and his history.

"_Next up is one that Zexion apparently caught shortly after the Organization was founded. __A respected aristocrat from Twilight Town. Experimentation on this subject resulted in a…"_

Drakken paused again to double-check what he had learnt. Unlike Karall, the next subject's background appealed to the supervillain's ingenuity. Making him deeply exited.

"…_being able to match any creature of the dark."_

"Meaning shape-shifter?" asked Shego.

"_Meaning shape-shifter."_

"Again…worthwhile," approved Sharak evilly. "Name?"

"Call me…Reflection," introduced the newcomer, in a posh, well-refined and elegant voice, which came from a few cells away from the Room of Sleep. Sharak held his hand out, and his telekinesis extended to the cell door, spectacularly ripping it off. A being of average height and build walked out with such poise, his body consisting entirely of thick black smoke. The intangibility soon started to shift itself, solidifying and reforming itself to resemble Zexion, then Vexen…and then Xemnas, as he walked towards them.

As soon as Reflection had assumed Xemnas' form, though, Karall went for his throat, recognising Xehanort, or rather, the _essential _part. Sharak extended his arm and grabbed Karall by the throat, restraining and choking him. The vampire tried to ignore the pressure his new master was inflicting, frantically concentrating more on trying to break free to get to 'Xemnas'.

"Wrong move, I presume?" Reflection asked innocently, sounding exactly like the Superior.

"On the contrary, my friend," Sharak explained. "The _best_ move you can make if employed under the correct circumstances."

'Xemnas' then shape-shifted into 'Sharak'.

"I believe I can learn many a valuable lesson from you indeed, sir."

Karall settled down when he saw Reflection change into Sharak. His damaged mind seemed to begin to grasp the concept of what he was. Sensing that the vampire was calming down, Sharak released him, not taking his approving eyes off his second new recruit.

"You seem to have held onto your sanity a lot better than _he_ has," remarked the emperor, inquisitively. "His case is understandable. _Yours_ is not."

"_I_ am royalty," Reflection explained, somewhat aloof and arrogant. "_He_," nodding to Karall,"is vermin. This change works well for my complexion." He resumed his usual form and then furthered, "Different minds, different hearts, different results."

"Indeed," Sharak agreed wholeheartedly. "Welcome to the new world order."

He then turned around to Shego, specifically to Drakken's image on her communicator.

"And finally we have?"

"_Finally we have…"_ Drakken began, but quickly faltered. Confused, he scratched his head. Shego quickly noticed this, and impatiently she asked, "What did you do this time?"

"_Uh…I don't know."_

Irritated, Sharak hissed, "What do you _mean_ 'you don't know'?"

"_Intel doesn't reveal squat about the last prisoner. Only thing I've gathered is he's in the seventh cell from th__at door at the end, on your right side."_

"What's behind that door at the end, anyway?" asked Shego, as she, Karall and Reflection followed Sharak to the last cell.

"_Intel says that it's something called 'The Room of Sleep,'" Drakken informed, scratching his head in confusion. "Built by Xemnas…and that's it. I don't really get it. If Xemnas wanted to take a nap whenever he felt like it, why come so far underneath a world that's faraway from his own?"_

"That's not important," snapped Sharak, stopping in front of the last door. "The room is merely a link to that which is obsolete and no more. And that's all anyone needs to know. Now…"

The demon attempted to dig his claws into the cell door, but the moment he touched it, the barrier of magic in front repelled him, startling and knocking him backwards, albeit ever so slightly.

"Drakken…?"

"_I can't unlock it from here. The shielding is too advanced even for me."_

"Are you sure there's someone in that cell?" asked a cynical Shego.

"Smelt it," snarled the hungry Karall. "_Felt it_."

"I know for a fact that there's someone in there," agreed Reflection. "But whenever I tried to talk to him, he didn't respond. He just sits inside that cell, all huddled together, silent and completely unresponsive."

Curious and eager, Sharak peered deep into the cell, looking through the bars, getting as close as the barrier would allow, and then asked, "Don't you want to get even with Xehanort?"

Silence.

And then…the sound of clunking metal made itself heard. The man inside started to rise up, trembling while doing so. The rattling of loose armour plating baffled the warriors, whereas Sharak 'smiled' in fond remembrance.

"How…how do you know that name?" asked the prisoner, in a hoarse, weak tone of voice. "Wh-who…are…you?"

Sharak paused in sly anticipation, hoping this newcomer was what he thought he was. His eyes narrowed and blared in evil joy.

Satisfactorily, he answered, "_Sharak_."

"Sh…arak? S-Sharak…_Sharak!_"

With a roar of fury, the armoured knight shot up to his feet, ripping his impaled Keyblade out of the floor and unlocking his cell door. A bright light signified the barrier disappearing. The cell door flung to one side, and the enigmatic soldier, his armour smashed and badly damaged, roared vengefully as he gathered all his strength, ignoring his injuries and lunging for Sharak, Keyblade held up high.

"SHARAK!"

The monster just contemptuously sidestepped away from the deathstrike. The Keybearing Knight collapsed onto the floor in agony, struggling to catch his breath, to bury the pain. His Keyblade fell from his grasp, by Sharak's foot. The knight tried painfully and desperately to reach out to his weapon, but Sharak placed his foot on it, stopping him from reclaiming it.

The Knight's body shivered as he looked up to the creature's terrible eyes. Eyes he hadn't seen for _centuries_.

"Pitiful," remarked the demonic entity. "Last of your kind and you still would gladly die fighting me. Still obsessed with a blood feud that ended a long time ago, that it builds to the point where it is now the only thing that matters to you."

"You know this fellow?" asked Reflection, curiously.

Ignoring his new recruit, Sharak carried on to the Enigmatic Soldier, "Perhaps it's time for us to move on. No more shutting yourself off from the world…and focus on working with me to rid ourselves of an enemy in common. To produce a better world."

"You plague everything…monster," sneered the wounded Keybearer. "You…Xehanort…everything you have both…created…will destroy everything unless it is stopped. I reject…your pathetic offer."

"And this is your final word?"

"My…final word…is I hope you both…rot in hell. And I hope that whoever destroys you…will make you scream and cry…twice as much as _we_ did."

"You never did a very good job," sighed Sharak, turning his back on his one-time mortal enemy. "Centuries after our conflict ended, I am still here with everything, whereas you are all alone, broken, timid and with nothing. Our war is now officially over. And so soon will the war with Xemnas."

Sharak walked away, leaving his followers confused. They looked at him, still standing as they were. The emperor then stopped and declared, "Karall…dinner is served."

"FOOD!!!" he gleefully yelled, pouncing on the Keybearing Knight, who just closed his eyes, truthfully unafraid. He had nothing left to live for.

The sight of the savage carnivore frighteningly rip off the armour-plating as though it were paper, and feast on the darkness in the knight's heart, made Reflection and Shego turn their heads. The aristocratic Reflection shuddered in disgust as though he was repulsed by this…_peasant's_ way of eating. Shego on the other hand, felt as though this was just like a horror film come to life. Drakken had long since closed contact to shut out the sight and sound of Karall's feasting.

When it was over, all that was left was a fallen knight's armour, ripped open and discarded like a tin can, and Karall, looking somewhat healthier and moving slightly towards normal human appearance, wiping his mouth on his tattered and torn sleeve.

"He…tasted divine," the vampire spoke, with a more refined speech pattern. Doubtless because his hunger had been properly satiated after ten years of imprisonment, and staying alive by feeding off _himself_.

"I feel…better. For…first time in years."

"You're disgusting," snorted Reflection, turning round to face him. "Am I really supposed to be in an army with the likes of _you_?"

"I second, third _and_ fourth that," nodded Shego. Karall roared at them, looking to feast next on either Shego or Reflection.

"ENOUGH," commanded Sharak, turning round to face his warriors. "Reflection, Karall…swear your allegiance to me."

Shego gave them both a commanding glare. Both Reflection and Karall looked at each other and then at Sharak, before finally bowing down and swearing, "Hail Sharak. Hail the new order."

After they rose, Sharak contacted Drakken again.

"Has Ilxsa reported in yet?"

"_Yes, my lord,"_ Drakken replied. Somehow he had managed to calm himself yet again and get over the recruitment of the animalistic Karall._ "Business in Manhattan is all taken care of."_

"Good." The emperor then opened a portal and turned to his warriors. "Come. We have work to do."

Shego, Reflection and Karall entered the portal back to Castle Oblivion. Sharak waited a little while to look back on the deceased Keybearer's armour.

"Over. Finished. Just like the rest of you."

And with that, the emperor followed his warriors back to his castle.

* * *

**_Author's note: What does everyone think of this fan fiction? I would really, really be interested to know just what everyone thinks of the Darkness-Nothing War. Is it better than my previous stories? Is it worse? Is this particular chapter too long? What do you think of the new characters? Is what I'm writing faithful to the Kingdom Hearts saga, universe, characters and continuity? Please tell me. And stay tuned. There's a LOT of surprises coming!_**

**_Cheers, muchly!_**

**_D.C. Wood (30/04/07)_**


	5. Chapter 5: Awakening to War

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 5: Awakening to War **

The portal opened and Hi-Jax walked out. After the gateway had closed behind him, the anomaly took a moment to survey his surroundings. This castle was ancient. He felt that it surely must be a thousand years old. Yet it had clearly stood the test of time. Both because of how it had been built in the first place, and also because someone had done a very good job of preserving it.

Wondering where he was, Hi-Jax noticed the sound of a faraway siren. Curious, he walked up to the battlements…to see something that took his breath away.

Incredibly, this castle was mounted on top of an industrial skyscraper. It was huge, hundreds of feet high. In fact, the castle was entirely above the clouds. Being able to see through the clouds, Hi-Jax could see a city below, filled with bright lights, teeming masses and great buildings and monuments. All of it spread across such a wide area.

Hi-Jax had seen pictures of this city when he was a small child. It was a world he had always wanted to visit before the darkness had ended his childhood.

"Manhattan, New York," nodded the eighteen-year-old in recognition. "Cheers, Xemnas. I'd certainly take this over Ruination City any day of the week."

Hi-Jax paused long and hard to think about what he'd just said.

"Did I just say 'Cheers, Xemnas'?"

The anomaly was truly amazed by all this and didn't know what to think. The person or person_s_ who had pulled off the extreme venture of putting an entire castle on top of a skyscraper must have been unquestionably rich. _Beyond _rich.

_And someone who would go to all this trouble_, thought Hi-Jax,_ must either be very fanatical about what they love…or more likely, he, she or they…are planning something_.

Hi-Jax then sharply turned his head in another direction. His nostrils flaring instinctively.

"Heartless."

He dashed towards the location of their scent. They weren't faraway from his location. Navigating his way down stairs to lower levels and running through numerous passageways, the Anomaly soon found what he was looking for. Taking cover in the shadows, he peered round just enough to _see_ what was going on. Hearing wasn't a problem. He could've eavesdropped from a nice, safe distance if he wanted to.

But Hi-Jax had always asked himself, _Where IS the fun in that?_

It was Heartless all right. The anomaly counted ten Gargoyles and five Surveillance Robots. It was quite a tall order. Just the right number for a fairly large-scale attack force. The Heartless all hovered behind their leader, waiting for their commands.

_Organization XIII?_ Hi-Jax was immediately confused when he set his eyes on the Heartless' leader. _Xemnas, what are you up to? Why have you sent me to stop one of yours?_

The teenager observed the person in the black coat. It was a Nobody, there wasn't any doubt about it. Hi-Jax could instantly tell that she didn't have a heart. But who was she? She couldn't be Larxene, she was dead. The other female Nobody…the one DiZ had told him about…Naminé, this wasn't her. She didn't match the description DiZ had supplied.

_So this is a brand, spanking new Nobody, then.__ Wearing Organization colours. Has to be one of Xemnas' gone rogue. Makes sense, I suppose. That's what Roxas did. But I'm here to stop Sharak, first and foremost. That's what Xemnas wants. So it can't be an elaborate trap of his. Not yet, anyways._

Hi-Jax couldn't 'read' more. Not even learn her name. So instead, he focused on the _other_ individual. The one seemingly being victimised. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and rather handsome, sporting a well-trimmed brown beard and long brown hair, knotted into a ponytail. He was wearing casual (but it could also be classed as 'business'), yet expensive attire. A simple, dark grey suit.

_Right, you're David Xanatos,_ learned the anomaly. _Highly respected private citizen, naturally richest guy in this world. Founder and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises, a huge billion-munny corporation that specialises in weapons manufacturing, technological research and development, medicine and genetics, blah-blah-blah…has holdings in several business outside of your main company. Started out as the son of a fisherman, believe it or not, inherited a handful of ancient coins one day, traded them for munny…successful investments following that resulted in you building a successful empire._

_Doubtless, you're the guy that bought and transported this castle and put it on top of your building._

Hi-Jax stopped 'reading' when the girl in the black coat began to speak.

"You've disappointed us, Mr Xanatos," Ilxsa confessed. "We considered our offer to be more than generous."

"I know what you really wanted," he glared. "And it's not for sale."

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Still…"

Hi-Jax was about to make his move when he noticed something else.

_Hearts. SIX of them, all incredibly strong. Inside that room behind Xanatos._

Sure enough, they were indeed six others, and like him, they were lurking in the darkness, observing the events. Xanatos had spent the last hour explaining everything to them, telling them why there were here and why he'd done what he'd done to bring them to his home in New York.

And that he hadn't been expecting any guests. He'd told them all they'd be safer if they stayed inside. Naturally, they didn't trust him. This whole thing was far too suspicious, so they had followed to spy on him.

To spy on him being confronted by…'people' who looked considerably less than hospitable.

"What's going on?" one of Xanatos' guests whispered angrily. "What are those creatures? Who is that in the black cloak?"

"They're attacking the castle!" yelled another one, not caring if anyone heard them. "That's all we need to know!"

In full agreement, the group's leader let loose with a fearsome and _inhuman_ roar. His terrifying eyes shining alight, he stepped out of the shadows and into the outside night air, the others following his lead. Xanatos turned round in surprise. The Nobody looked towards the newcomers, eyes narrowed. The Heartless turned their attention away from Xanatos and to his guests, looking for hearts to dine on.

Hi-Jax, totally surprised, thought that the newcomers had been made extinct _centuries_ ago.

The six gargoyles all spread out, each going for a different section of the enemy. The leader was a true, physical specimen, with a monstrous build, grey skin (with a hint of purple), huge, awe-inspiring wings, savage claws and long black hair. His second-in-command was much older, larger, more-rounded, with white hair and beard, and sporting a vicious scar that trailed down his left eye. Nonetheless, Hi-Jax could tell that he was a fierce warrior, given his appearance and the way he was brandishing a short sword in his right hand.

The others were somewhat younger, immature and more reckless-looking. One was brownish-red, skinny, having a bird-bill-like mouth and long, white hair. Another one was notably the smallest with green skin, and whose wings (unlike his fellows) were like a webbed-membrane between his arms and legs. And then there was a really large and well-rounded gargoyle with bluish-green skin. It was safe to assume that he had had many a great banquet all to himself in his time.

Despite their dubious appearances, the young gargoyles threw themselves into battle with great ferocity and skill that would justify their warrior status. And finally, there was a bizarre gargoyle that resembled a dog much more than a human. Snarling and vicious, he tore into the Heartless that came at him left and right, ravaging them like a mad rottweiler.

Hi-Jax paused for a minute. These gargoyles really didn't look as though they needed his help.

_Still…duty calls,_ he shrugged, materialising his swords of light and dark, leaping out of the shadows and into the fray.

Ilxsa commanded three of her Heartless to leave to accomplish their mission. She sent the others to attack the gargoyles. The leader roared at the female Nobody as he jumped high into the air, his wings spanning as wide as they could, and then gliding gracefully downwards, targeting the Darkest Exile.

Staying silent, the Unknown just simply somersaulted away from the gargoyle's ferocious air-strikes. He paused for a moment to growl at her insidiously, before resuming his attack. Ilxsa, still silent, just sidestepped out of harm's way and then leapt backwards, high into the air, and commanding her own Gargoyles to attack. The leader just sneered as he span round on the spot, whipping his tail and smacking the diving Heartless out of the sky.

The Surveillance Robots hovered over the dog-like gargoyle, ganging up on him. He sprinted to avoid the gunfire that was raining down, but it became harder and harder. More Surveillance Robots appeared to gang up on him, intensifying the odds and the gunfire. He fled around the nearest tower corner to get some cover. The Heartless were in hot pursuit as they went round the corner for the kill.

The gargbeast was nowhere in sight. One of the Heartless noticed claw marks to its side. They travelled up the wall. And that was when the Heartless looked up to see the gargbeast diving down on them, his jaws wide open, and the savage snarling escaping. In one fell swoop, the Heartless were decimated by the gargbeast.

Elsewhere, the oldest gargoyle decimated Heartless left and right with his dagger. When he was finished, he looked around to see that there were no more enemies in sight. Save for one Gargoyle Heartless that was in front of him a short distance away, just observing him as it hovered, flapping its wings. The oldest gargoyle roared as he charged for the Heartless, holding his dagger up high.

Then out of nowhere, two more Gargoyles appeared behind him, opening their mouths and shooting dark fireballs at the second-in-command. They scorched him in the back, forcing him to his knees. The two Heartless then grabbed his arms, restraining him as the other one flew forward, digging his claws into his chest. The old gargoyle screamed in horrific pain. It was as though his heart was on fire. The Gargoyle Heartless opened its mouth wide, about to sink its teeth into the gargoyle's heart to take it away.

The small, green gargoyle and his large, round, aqua brother came to the rescue, killing the Heartless that were restraining the elderly second-in-command. The brownish-red, skinny gargoyle then grabbed the Heartless by the head, starting to crush it as he ripped it away from his elder's chest, saving his heart in the process.

"Leave him alone!" he sneered darkly, before smashing the Heartless' head into the stone ground, killing it instantly. The young gargoyles then attended to their mentor, who held his hand over his chest, trying to catch his breath and deal with the subsiding, yet burning pain. The small, green gargoyle gave his elder an Elixir and his strength and health soon returned. Feeling better, the second-in-command looked up to see yet more Surveillance Robots appear above them, aiming their guns and ready to fire.

"Move, lads!" he ordered furiously. They scattered in separate directions, the Heartless' gunfire creating a large smoking crater seconds after they fled the spot where they once stood.

The Surveillance Robots kept firing on the gargoyles below, unaware that the clan's leader was gliding towards them. He swiped them out of the sky, out of existence. And then turned to the last batch of Gargoyle Heartless that were on ground level. He swooped downward, and landed right on top of two of them, feet first, with all his strength, crushing them easily. Then he swatted the remainder with his tail, eliminating them for good.

The leader turned to see that his warriors, his friends, his _only_ kin left, were all alright. Then he looked around him to find the creatures' leader. The enigmatic person dressed in black. She was on the higher levels of the battlements, observing the chief gargoyle. She just snapped her fingers and two dozen Neo-Shadows emerged from the ground, completely surrounding him. His eyes went pupil-less and shone alight as they all pounced towards the roaring beast.

The gargoyles' leader managed to eliminate a few but the numbers soon overwhelmed him, as they all piled on top of him. His comrades rushed to his aid only to be cut off by a pack of Wyverns. They were soon forced on the defensive, unable to reach their leader.

At this point, Hi-Jax had defeated the large group of Heartless he'd had to deal with and saw the chief gargoyle in trouble. A flash of light later and the astonished gargoyle ceased struggling to discover that he was standing relatively unharmed. He saw all the Neo-Shadows frozen where they stood at a safe distance away from him. Before they exploded into dark mist.

Surprised, the leading gargoyle turned to see the teenage anomaly rising to his feet. The sight of a boy, wielding swords that were apparently made of bright light and black smoke, coupled with the fact that he had come out of nowhere and saved his life, sent the gargoyle into a state of bewilderment and frustration.

"You…are you with this Xanatos?"

"No," said Hi-Jax bluntly, turning round to face the gargoyle. His response sounded dark and moody. His attitude didn't make the creature feel at ease. In fact, it didn't help comfort his short temper in any way.

"Then where did you come from?" he angrily demanded. "Who are you?"

"I'm what you'd call a wanderer," the teenager replied back, making it clear that he didn't like people asking questions about his private secrets. "Just a guy who passes through here and there and helps out whenever trouble's given the red carpet treatment. And my name is Hi-Jax."

More Heartless shot up out of the ground and attacked the two. Hi-Jax withdrew his swords and summoned light and dark shuriken in-between his fingers, and throwing them into the heads of the Heartless, killing them instantly. The gargoyle leader whipped his tail at the creatures again and before long, he and the teenage human were back-to-back punching, kicking, slashing, demolishing all that rushed them.

"What about you?" asked Hi-Jax amidst the intense brawling. "Do _you_ have a name?"

"_Only_ me," he explained as he sent his clawed hand right though a Wight Knight. "We see no point in names. Yet _your_ kind nonetheless dubbed me 'Goliath'."

"I see."

The number of Heartless seemed to intensify. And it wasn't long at all until Hi-Jax, Goliath and his clan found themselves hard-pressed to stay alive again.

Then, a laser beam shot out of nowhere, taking out ten Heartless, saving Hi-Jax and Goliath and making them turn their heads to a smiling Xanatos, wielding a state-of-the-art laser rifle, one he had developed himself.

"Hmph," snorted Goliath, still strongly doubting that Xanatos was entirely trustworthy. He turned to help his fellows. Xanatos still had a smile on his face, and then raised a curious eyebrow when he saw Hi-Jax.

"Obviously, you're not on my payroll, young man," he observed, noting the uncanny light and dark shuriken in-between the fingers of his clenched fist and his out-worldly attire. "And seeing as how you're no friend of Goliath and killing these creatures, I assume you're tracking that charming young lady over there."

Hi-Jax looked to the direction that Xanatos had just nodded towards. To the high battlement level where the Nobody stood, now staring at _him_ intently.

"You _could_ say that," was all the teenager said.

"My name is David…" he began, offering his hand, still maintaining his calm, professional attitude even in the heat of this fiasco.

"I _know_," Hi-Jax interrupted, before running off to rejoin the battle. Xanatos smirked and chuckled in admiration at the boy for a few seconds before turning to blast away the Heartless that tried to ambush him.

Up on the higher battlements, Ilxsa just stood there, arms folded as she observed the battle, only sending in more Heartless when necessary. She knew that the tactic was to keep all the gargoyles and Xanatos here while the troops she had sent elsewhere completed their mission. Hi-Jax's arrival to Manhattan, though, wasn't something she had expected. This development would undoubtedly merit Sharak's attention.

The former Adam…somehow one of Ilxsa's best friends in her previous life…was here. And she started to feel some kind of _intimacy_ just being in proximity to him. Like the secrets of her past were finally starting to unravel.

And yet…she remained unemotional, not feeling anything. All there was now was cold logic and a simple computation of what actions to take. Then, her thoughts were disturbed as the small, green gargoyle landed beside her, having taken out the squad of Surveillance Robots just to glide to reach her.

She turned her head to acknowledge the gargoyle's presence, not seeing a reason to tolerate its being here beside her.

"Are you a Viking?" he asked.

"No," she answered simply, a sai dagger appearing in her left hand via black, smoky wisps. She then threw it with a simple backhand at the gargoyle, knowing that he'd dodge it easily, yet would go away, diving over the battlements, through the clouds…

And then glide upwards when her back was turned, his eyes blank as he quietly growled and stealthily prepared for a sneak attack.

True enough, it happened. But the Darkest Exile had teleported safely away. And the small gargoyle was greeted by Heartless counterparts instead.

Which he easily tore through, despite the surprise.

Meanwhile, Goliath and his elderly second-in-command had regrouped to discuss strategy and evaluate the situation.

"These dark creatures…" the old gargoyle said. "Their powers…they fight like demons spawned by the black arts! Their leader is a blatant sorceress!"

"Even so," replied a determined Goliath, "we _will_ protect this castle! It's all we have left!"

The two comrades looked up to see yet another Surveillance Robot targeting them. They glided to safety seconds before it opened fire. The blast was devastating, and as a result, it distracted Xanatos, allowing a Wight Knight to claw the laser rifle out of his hands, and it went off, the beam carving off one of the castle walls and sending it crashing to the streets hundreds of feet below, causing great damage, panic among the citizens and the police coming to the scene sirens blaring.

Back in the castle, Ilxsa had retreated to a position of safety, waiting for her infiltrators to return. The gargoyles and Xanatos had recovered strong and the Heartless were nearly finished. She didn't see a need to call in any more reinforcements.

And then…

"Hello there," greeted Hi-Jax, somewhat cheerfully and darkly, appearing behind the Darkest Exile. "And you are?"

"Hello, Adam," she greeted back, her voice devoid of any emotion. "My friend."

That last part made Hi-Jax's narrow. She had called him Adam and implied that she was his friend. Hi-Jax already knew that this Nobody was a newcomer. So she must be the Nobody of someone he once knew a long time ago. Either that, or she was more likely trying to trick him. It was typical of Nobodies to do so, after all.

"Well, 'friend'. How about you drop that hood so we can have a proper reunion? If you are the friend you _claim_ to be."

"Some _other_ time, perhaps," she provoked, making Hi-Jax levitate himself off the ground, conjuring up a chain and hook made of light and hurling it at the Unknown. She formed a dark barrier to block the attempted grab. The light chain and hook was cancelled because of the shield, making Hi-Jax fly towards her, determined to find out who she was. Ilxsa had other ideas as she created three shadow copies of herself to block him and aid her escape.

The copies were very good, somersaulting towards Hi-Jax and delivering flying roundhouse kicks. Hi-Jax was able to block the attempted blows and conjure up shields to repel the fireballs they sent at him. The returned projectiles staggered the copies and allowed Hi-Jax to finish them off with a scythe (again made up of intense, bright light and smoky darkness) that he had materialised into his grasp.

But Ilxsa had disappeared out of sight again.

She stood near the entranceway to inside the castle. Seconds later, three Heartless Gargoyles flew out. One of them carrying a steel box. With that, Ilxsa commanded the other Heartless to cease fighting. In that instant, they all froze where they stood. The abrupt end of the battle caught the gargoyles off guard. They fell into confusion, not sure what to do next.

Until Goliath shouted, "Now! We have them!"

But Ilxsa just snapped her fingers, making all the attacking Heartless disappear.

"What manner of sorcery is this?!" asked the oldest gargoyle. Xanatos then looked to Ilxsa.

To see that she now had the box in her possession.

"No!" he exclaimed, shocked that this had happened. Ilxsa held her hand out to her left and opened a portal.

"We have what we came for," she told her Heartless, and they then proceeded to fly into the portal, back to Sharak. Hi-Jax flew towards her, determined to catch her. The female Unknown looked up to the sky, backing away into the vortex.

"Goodbye, Adam. _Again._ Until next time. _Again._"

Hi-Jax tried to reach out and grab her with his telekinesis, but a last minute Gargoyle Heartless she had summoned thwarted him. And in the brief time it took for him to dispose of it, Ilxsa had gone. Hi-Jax then landed on his feet, seething angrily over her escape.

_Whoever you are, you sure know how to use Heartless._

Hi-Jax stared at the spot where the Nobody had been only seconds ago.

_What did you mean…'again'?_

"Those creatures…said the skinny gargoyle to his comrades, "some of them were gargoyles like us."

"_Not_ 'like us'," protested the smallest one. "They were too dark, too…_evil_. Those other ones had different forms. As though they adapt different shapes and sizes"

"That bizarre hole they escaped through," the largest one pointed out. "I think it was a magic gateway of some kind."

"Blatant sorcery at its most insidious!" agreed the oldest, not forgetting the horrible attempt the Heartless had made to steal his heart.

Xanatos, Goliath and Hi-Jax rejoined the other defenders of the castle. The businessman and the clan's leader looked at each other face-to-face.

"Thank you," said a grateful Xanatos. "Without you and your friends, who knows the full extent of what those monsters could've done."

"Someone I once trusted said the _same thing_," Goliath retorted rather coldly. "And _then _betrayed my people."

Xanatos remained respectfully silent for a few seconds, thinking of the right way to reply.

"I can see I'm going to have to work hard to earn your trust."

Goliath just snarled, strongly doubting the sincerity of his words. The other Gargoyles remained silent. And it was then that they noticed Hi-Jax. The gargbeast started to growl at him, very suspicious. The others narrowed their eyes in confusion.

Xanatos was the first to speak.

"And thank _you_, my friend…whoever you are."

"You're welcome, Mr Xanatos," Hi-Jax replied.

"So where did _you_ come from, lad?" asked the eldest gargoyle, somewhat more welcoming than Goliath had been.

"Are you…a new friend?" the red, skinny one asked rather suspiciously.

"Well, I'm definitely not here to be your enemy," answered back Hi-Jax in a dark and flippant tone of voice.

"Somehow, that doesn't quite put us at ease…'Hi-Jax'," confessed Goliath, his intimidating eyes glaring at the teenager, who just glared back at him in return. His expression challenging him, saying, "If you have a problem…_show_ it instead of saying it."

"'Hi-Jax'?" repeated the smallest gargoyle. "That's an odd name for a human…"

"I chose it," he explained. "My…_old _name became obsolete a long time ago."

"Why?" asked the largest one.

"Because my old life became _extinct_," he confessed, not bothering to cushion anyone with the truth, and starting to feel a little uncomfortable about strangers prying into his privacy. "Just like _your_ race. Or so I once believed. I thought your kind was wiped out centuries ago."

"What do _you_ know about…?!" Goliath began to demand, but Xanatos took the moment to step in before things got out of control.

"Gentlemen…_please_. The battle is _over_. Now regardless of whether how many of you are willing to accept this…the truth is that what happened here tonight has drawn us together. We are strangers no more. And if we're going to survive the road ahead…we need to put all differences aside. What say you?"

A long silence followed. The gargoyles were united. They trusted each other implicitly. It was just Xanatos and this Hi-Jax that they weren't sure about. Their experience with humans had ultimately proven tragic. What Xanatos had done for them…would hardly be enough to make him completely trustworthy in their eyes. But this Hi-Jax had come out of nowhere…even Xanatos didn't recognise him. The way he was dressed, the way he battled…everything about him seemed even more dubious than the businessman.

Hi-Jax had said it himself. He _wasn't_ here to be their enemy. He was here to help. So he decided it was time to show he meant it.

"I'm willing to work with you all," spoke Hi-Jax honestly. "I have a personal interest in taking those monsters down."

"What are they?" asked the oldest gargoyle.

"Perhaps we should all tell our stories from the beginning," suggested Xanatos. "Hi-Jax…why don't you go first?"

And after spending a few moments deciding whether or not to share his dark past, he did. He explained about the Heartless, how they were made out of the darkness in people's hearts made real, and how they were after the hearts of others, acting on instinct in their quest to collect all the hearts in the universe. Their father was a monster called Sharak, who had fallen a long time ago and had recently risen again along with his children, thanks to the experimentation of a wise ruler and scientist called Ansem, whose heart had fallen to darkness.

Hi-Jax explained that it was his mission to stop the Heartless and destroy Sharak. Not only was it his appointed task but a blood oath. They had taken his life away from him. And then after he had managed to rebuild it, it was taken from him again, this time by people dressed in black, like the one who had led the Heartless just now.

Hi-Jax's story was truly incredible and far out. It amazed the gargoyles. And likewise, their own story amazed Hi-Jax. A thousand years ago, a clan of gargoyles lived at a place called Castle Wyvern, where they faced prejudice from their human 'allies', the rulers of the castle. Nonetheless, they were befriended by the captain of the guard. A great sense of trust existed between Goliath and the captain as they defended the castle against an army of ruthless, blood-thirsty Viking conquerors. But one day, the Wyvern gargoyle clan were deceived. The captain, the one human Goliath and his warriors trusted, had sided with the Vikings' leader. The humans were captured and imprisoned…

And the Wyvern Clan was almost entirely massacred. The gargoyles who turned to stone by day and were flesh only at night…were mercilessly shattered while they slept. Only Goliath and the five standing here and now had survived due to sleeping secretly and safely away from the violence. Later, after rescuing the castle residents from the Vikings, the Gargoyles were turned to stone forever, or at least until the castle rose above the clouds.

Xanatos then explained that a thousand years had gone by since the spell was cast. He learned of Castle Wyvern and the six surviving gargoyles by an ancient book that had recently come into his possession. The gargoyles had been cursed by a grief-stricken magus who had mistakenly believed that they had inadvertently killed the princess of the castle during the Vikings' downfall. He soon discovered that the princess was alive and that he had made a huge mistake. He expressed his guilt by writing the whole story in a mammoth book, which Xanatos now had in a glass case on display.

Xanatos had confessed to being 'absolutely fascinated by the magus' story and wanted to see if it was true. He thus embarked on the enterprise to awaken the Wyvern Clan in New York and then said that there was much that Xanatos and Goliath could do for one another. And before he could elaborate further…Ilxsa and the Heartless arrived. And then the battle followed.

"So why was this Ilxsa here?" asked Hi-Jax, not bothering to hide his interest in her.

"She came to my office earlier this afternoon," Xanatos explained. "She said she had come on behalf of her employer to discuss a business proposition, exchanging technology and information with one another."

"Did the deal include these Heartless?" asked Goliath.

"It repulsed me," the businessman confirmed. "And there was something else that she had a specific interest in. Data disks to be exact, containing very valuable information. And very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands."

"'Disks'?" asked Goliath. The clan, having only just awakened, had hardly had the chance yet to learn and adjust to all the advancements and changes of this century.

"Think of them as magic talismans, each one containing hundreds of spells. I knew that Ilxsa and her motives couldn't be trusted so I said 'no'."

"Wise choice," remarked Hi-Jax. "To place your trust in creatures like her is suicidal."

"Her? A creature?" asked the red, skinny gargoyle. "Under her hood…is she…?"

"She's a Nobody. When a person with a strong heart becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is created as well. Some of them possess human appearance…she's one of them. They all dress in black and are part of a group called…"

"Cyberbiotics," interrupted Xanatos. Everyone now turned their attention to Xanatos. His interruption baffled Hi-Jax. Because he had said something he hadn't heard before.

"Excuse me?"

"She works for a rival corporation called Cyberbiotics," he explained. "They've been trying to put me out of business for years. I've always managed to stay one step ahead of them and that's made them jealous. When she came back here, she said Cyberbiotics wanted those data disks and were prepared to take them by force. I saw the Heartless make off with them. And that is very bad. I know with all that data they could bring about terrible destruction."

"Erm…I don't know exactly what kind of lies she's been feeding you, but it's a _fact_ that she belongs to a party of Nobodies called Organization XIII…"

"Regardless," Xanatos interrupted again. "those disks are now in enemy hands. And it's vitally important that you all get them back for me."

That made Hi-Jax and the gargoyles very suspicious of Xanatos. None of them knew quite what to think.

"Why do you want _us_ to help you?" asked Goliath.

"This must be done quickly before their scientist reroute the encryption codes," the businessman explained. And then deciding to explain again in terms the gargoyles would understand.

"Before they translate the spells."

Goliath walked up to Xanatos, breathing in deeply and thinking about everything. Xanatos had awakened the gargoyles, fought alongside them. And had shared so much with them, perhaps more than he should have. Maybe it was time to trust humans again. But then…the _enormity_ of what he was asking. And they had only known each other for what? A few _hours_?

"This is much different than protecting the castle," Goliath confessed, choosing to be calm and controlled. "It will endanger the lives of my charges. I cannot risk that."

"I understand," nodded Xanatos, placing a hand on the towering creature's shoulder for a few seconds. "But please, all of you…think about my request. I'm sure our enemies mean to use this information for some terrible purpose."

The gargoyles looked at one another, not sure as to whether to agree with what Xanatos was asking of them. Hi-Jax could tell that Xanatos wasn't telling them exactly the whole truth. He was tempted to use his telepathy to find out exactly what was going on.

But he thought of the consequences of it. Using his powers to try and read Nobodies and DiZ…he had already used that particular talent to bring down so many villains in Ruination City. Would he keep using his powers to be disrespectful to one's privacy and trust everytime he met someone? Be they good or bad?

It was a question that Hi-Jax had come to ask himself a lot since his quest started. And the answer he'd arrived at was that it would make him no better than Sharak or the Organization.

And that was the last thing he wanted.

Deciding that he would only employ his powers when the right circumstances _demanded_ it, Hi-Jax spoke, "I won't speak for Goliath and his clan, Xanatos…but I'll trust you enough to let _me_ sleep on what your asking."

"That's good enough for me," agreed Xanatos with a grateful smile. The other gargoyles stared at Hi-Jax, still wondering whether he was truly trustworthy as well. Turning back to Xanatos, Goliath agreed that they'd think about it.

"Thank you. All of you. If you need anything, just call. And my assistant Owen will help."

Hi-Jax and the gargoyles then left to enjoy the temporary peace and hopefully discuss more with each other about differences and history, regardless of the mistrust that existed between them.

Seconds after they had gone, Xanatos was all alone.

But not for long.

His accomplice, who had secretly monitored the battle, finally came out into the open. The accomplice walked up to Xanatos with a concerned look. Xanatos then looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry. Everything's going according to plan."

* * *

"One of the newly installed generators in the castle exploded," explained Owen Burnett to Eliza Maza, a NYPD detective who had immediately decided to question people about the destruction caused by the activity on top of Xanatos' skyscraper. "Mr Xanatos has agreed to pay for all the damages caused as well as issue a public apology to the people of…" 

"Mr Burnett," interrupted the detective, wisely not believing the false story for a second and thus becoming rather tired of it. "I heard _automatic weapons_ being fired up there. Now," she folded her eyes as she gave Burnett the ultimatum, "you can either let me look this place over, or I can come back here with a lot more cops. It's your call."

Burnett gave a conceding smile as a way of saying 'you win'. Several minutes later, Burnett and Eliza walked out of the elevator into the lobby area of the castle.

"Nice place," she complimented, noting the fabulous restorations that had gone into the castle relocation project. It was even more beautiful than it had been a thousand years ago, yet staying faithful to its history at the same time.

"Detective Maza," declared Xanatos upon his arrival. "I just phoned the mayor to offer my profound apologies for what happened here."

"What exactly _did_ happen here, Mr Xanatos? And _please_…don't tell me it was an exploding generator."

"Well, that's for the press," he began, leading the detective to where the battle had taken place. "The truth is my men repelled an invasion by a rival corporation trying to steal some of our new technology."

This made Eliza stop and place her fists on her hips in disbelief.

"Repelled an invasion?! You're a private, respected citizen, Xanatos. _Not_ a country."

"Detective…" the billionaire rebutted respectfully as he opened the sliding door to outside, "I am the head of a multi-national, billion munny company…that is bigger than any countries you can name."

Xanatos and Eliza stepped outside, followed by Burnett, to survey the damage. It was intense, but repairable. Eliza's intuition had been proven right.

_Definitely a battle here_, she thought to herself. "I assume you have permits for the weapons I heard being fired up here?"

"Of course."

"Mr Xanatos," informed Burnett. "Some of our guests are having a few problems with the kitchen."

"Thank you, I'll help them," he acknowledged before turning to Eliza. "I hope I've answered all your questions satisfactorily, detective Maza. Owen will show you out. Please excuse me."

High above, on the upper levels of the battlements, Goliath and Hi-Jax (separately) observed Burnett escorting Eliza out of the castle. The gargoyle's leader felt that the woman's presence was perhaps one human too many. Hi-Jax looked at her thinking that she appeared to be much more approachable than Xanatos and Burnett were. Maybe a potential ally.

But that was just speculation.

Something caught Eliza's eye and she looked up to the battlements to see…nothing. Her eyes narrowed. She was sure that something had been there just now.

"Something wrong, detective?" asked Burnett, noticing Eliza's unease.

"That stone gargoyle up there," she pointed. "I could've sworn it move."

Burnett looked up, the concerned expression on his face hidden from the police officer's eyes. It didn't last long though, as he quickly smiled, "Yes, I've often thought that. A castle like this…it's impossible to think otherwise."

Eliza looked up at where she thought she had seen a gargoyle for a few more seconds before agreeing to follow Burnett out of the castle. A few minutes later again, and Burnett had summoned the elevator for the detective.

"Good night, detective."

"Good night," she said back, stepping into the elevator. The doors closed behind her and Burnett walked away.

Several seconds later, though, Eliza pressed the button to take her up to the highest level of the castle.

"Sorry, pal, but this investigation's not over yet."

The doors opened in a dark corner of the castle. Taking a flashlight out of her coat pocket, she switched it on and stepped out into the cold, dark corridor. It wasn't just Xanatos and Burnett that bothered her. Although a blatant cover-up like the one they were trying to pull would be enough to make her do something like this any and every day of the week. But it was something else this time.

Part of the debris that had fallen onto the street a few hours ago…she'd made sure to note that there were _claw_ marks on it. Claw marks on _solid stone_. Something else was up. And like Eliza had said to the sergeant a few hours ago when the battle was over, she was going to find out.

A few minutes of searching, though had revealed nothing. This didn't deter her, though. She was going to keep searching until she found something conclusive to really spell out what Xanatos was up to.

Then…loose rubble shifted.

Eliza's reflexes kicked in, spinning her round. Nothing was there.

"Don't tell me this is the part where Dracula shows up," she laughed quietly.

She carried on until reaching stairs that spiralled upwards. She thought to herself how really cold it was up here. All these drafts.

_Why in the world would anyone go to all this trouble to put an ancient castle on top of a skyscraper? _she asked to herself. _I knew Xanatos was full of it, loving and buying everything, but even for him…this is extreme._

Soon, Eliza was out in the open night air. There was no need for her flashlight so she switched it off and put it back in her coat pocket. She paused for a moment to look at the view of the city hundreds of feet below and then decided to check the battlements thoroughly.

And that was when she heard the growl… coming from the stair tower.

_Knew there was someone following me_, thought Eliza as she pressed her back against the side of the tower opening, drawing her handgun out.

"Okay, pal," she ordered, pointing her weapon to the shadows. "Let me see ya. Nice and easy."

The response came in the form of the dog-like gargoyle, who stepped out into the open, growling at her as though he could and would rip her to pieces. The sight of the creature truly shocked the police detective. She had no idea what it was, and it almost made her drop her gun. She reasserted herself however, ready to fire if it tried anything.

"Now that's not very nice."

Eliza turned in shock to see a sword made out of what she assumed to be was bright light pointing at her. Hi-Jax stepped out as he and the gargbeast made her back away.

_That…that's not real,_ she shook her head in denial, the gun starting to shake in her hands. _That…that's just a cheap trick._

"_Knew_ there was someone snooping around," confessed Hi-Jax. "I could literally smell it."

The gargbeast barked in agreement.

"N-nice light show! Drop your weapon!"

"Ladies first."

"Sorry, buster, but I really don't…"

The second Eliza had managed to calm herself to reaffirm her self-control and aim her weapon, Goliath was there, staring at her as he effortlessly wrenched the gun out of her grasp and crushed it with his hand as though it were paper.

Goliath's presence made her back away in even more terror. He was even more intimidating than the gargbeast and the teenage anomaly put together. Eliza couldn't believe this was happening. Panic had consumed her now. She had her back up against the edge of the battlements and she'd forgotten about the openings.

She screamed as she fell over the edge. Goliath and Hi-Jax both attempted to grab her.

They were too late and Eliza was now screaming and falling hundreds of feet down to a swimming pool of concrete death waiting for her.

Hi-Jax was about to use his telekinesis to safely pull her back up to the top when Goliath decided to glide down to catch her.

_Okay, then, Goliath…she's all yours._

Eliza's panic grew as Goliath's descent accelerated. Very soon, his speed had matched hers and with such grace, he was able to catch her in his arms and swoop above the masses below (who didn't know what it was that had just flown overhead them), safely around the building into a shadowy area and land perfectly on a ledge.

Eliza pressed herself against the wall yet again in panic. For the next several seconds she could only stare in shock and awe at the awesome figure of this beast that was now standing only a few feet beside her.

"O…okay…" she began, her fear starting to subside due to her desperation of maintaining a grip on her sanity. "Okay, just take it easy…"

"What were you doing in my castle?" the gargoyle's leader angrily demanded.

"You…you can talk?! Who…_what_ are you?!"

"My kind have no names. But you humans call me…Goliath."

"Your…your _kind_? You mean there's more than one of you?"

The pain of memory made Goliath close his eyes for a few seconds, breath in deep sorrow, and sigh in bitterness, "_Barely_."

"Wait!" she asked, stopping him before he could leave. "Don't go."

Eliza managed to conjure a nervous smile as she said, "Look, we have to get down to the street or back up to the castle. Since you can fly…"

"I _can't fly_," Goliath corrected. "I can only _glide _using the air currents. There are none strong enough to lift us back up."

That wasn't what Eliza wanted to hear at all.

"So we're stuck here?" she asked nervously.

Goliath stayed silent for a few seconds. Then he sighed as he grabbed the shocked Eliza and put her on his back.

"Hold on."

And then he dug his claws deep into the building and began to climb. The sight was proving too much for Eliza, and no sooner had Goliath scaled a few metres, had she scrunched her eyes up tight and hung onto him for dear life. The gargoyle very quickly noticed.

"Trust me," was all he said.

"I don't believe this," she whispered to herself.

At the top of the building, Hi-Jax stared at the sight of Goliath carrying Eliza back up to the castle.

_Poor woman. Her heart is so strong, I can feel it from here. She's not the kind that scares easy and __yet she's absolutely terrified. Can't say I blame her. Diving into a world like this would drive anyone nuts. Why did I stand aside and let Goliath save her when I could've done so much more easier and faster? Was I trying to repair the relationship between gargoyles and humans and make it better than ever? When I studied history under the Council of Light's tutelage, I found the gargoyles history to be so tragic and wish it could've been written differently._

_Is Adam still alive inside me? Even though he's no more?_

Several minutes later, Goliath and Eliza had reached the top. The gargoyle climbed over the battlements and Eliza let go. She knelt on the ground, hand over her chest as she panted, trying to calm herself down.

And then the gargbeast appeared, growling and advancing menacingly towards her. Eliza once again jumped back in fright, quickly rising to her feet, wanting to hide behind Goliath.

"I forgot about him…" she whispered to herself.

"He's _not_ going to hurt you," calmed Goliath, placing his hand on the watchdog's head and stroking it. The gargbeast soon settled down and began to smile at Eliza.

"Neither will I," assured Hi-Jax as he came forward. "Even though I…_would_ have rules about intruders. _If I_ had a castle."

Eliza immediately noticed that the eighteen-year-old had been most careful about choosing his words. And that he said the part about rules and a castle with a deep sense of anguish.

"You're a cop, aren't you?"

"You…you _know?_ How did you…that sword made of light! How did you…?!"

Goliath turned to Hi-Jax. The human could tell just by looking at the gargoyle that he didn't understand what a 'cop' was. And that even though the gargoyles had told all of their story, Hi-Jax hadn't exactly told all of his. Specifically the part about how he got his powers and what he meant exactly when he said his 'old life' had been undone.

_Perhaps it is time to COMPLETELY balance the scales of trust,_ Hi-Jax decided.

"I have my gifts. And I know how _not_ to become _too_ dependant on them," he answered. "But as I said…ladies first."

Eliza was confused at first, but she then noticed to see Goliath staring at her intently.

"Now…once again…_what – are – you – doing – here?_"

Eliza looked down to see that the tamed gargbeast was still smiling at her.

"And please…" furthered Goliath, no doubt trying to lighten the mood of the conversation. "_don't_ fall of the building this time."

With that, Eliza's unease vanished. Her amused smile indicated this.

"That was a fine mess you made of that kitchen, lads!" complained the elderly gargoyle as he and the three young ones walked out into the open. "When I heard that crash, I thought…!"

"Look!" pointed the smallest one. "Goliath's talking to that human! And Hi-Jax is there, too!"

"A friend of the human teenager, perhaps?" asked the skinniest one.

"I'm not so sure," said the largest one, scratching his head. "You know…all these mad things he's been talking about…Heartless and Nobodies…this Sharak, Ansem and Organization XIII…Goliath saying that he's a wanderer who 'passes through'…I know it sounds crazy…but I think he could be from another world entirely."

"Another _world_? It doesn't _sound_ crazy. It _is_ crazy!"

"It's not unheard of," argued the second-in-command. "I remember in my day we were told legends of other worlds out there. And how some of our ancestors…"

"Fought alongside great heroes to defeat a being of great evil," finished the red, skinny one. The legends had been passed down through many generations of gargoyles. "For the fate of life itself. And how our ancestors returned home triumphant over these dark creatures. It's a great story, I'll agree, but it's just that. A story."

"Those Heartless creatures that attacked us earlier," hypothesised the small, green one. "Now, after having a chance to think about it all and what Hi-Jax told us…it all seems to fit with the legends. Did they ever prophesise this 'Sharak's' return?"

"No," the elderly gargoyle shook his head, "but after forgetting it for so long, I'm sure that the legends say that those dark creatures our ancestors battled tried to take their hearts away. Just like those things tried to take _mine._"

This made the gargoyles see Hi-Jax in a different light.

"Could he be a descendant of those heroes that fought with our ancestors?"

"Who knows, lads? Maybe we should ask him about it some time. But for the moment, let's find out who this _other_ human is."

Hi-Jax and Goliath had just finished explaining their stories to Eliza.

"So once _you_ were a ruler of another world," she summarised, "whose life was undone as a means to destroy your greatest foe. And a thousand years ago, _you_ were betrayed by the one human you trusted. Does anyone else know about either of you?"

"Only the man called 'Xanatos'," explained Goliath as his fellow clan members came to join the conversation, much to Eliza's surprise. "_He _brought us here."

"I introduced myself to Xanatos and these guys shortly after I arrived here," explained Hi-Jax. "There are a few _other_ outworlders, like me, who know what I'm doing…but the list of names is too big to name without seriously boring you."

Eliza turned to look at all the other gargoyles, whispering to herself, "I can't believe this is happening."

"In my lives," confessed Hi-Jax, "I've learned that the more you say that, the more it _is actually_ happening."

The red-skinny proceeded to sniff Eliza suspiciously.

"Is this…a new friend, Goliath?"

"Boy, I hope so," Eliza whispered again.

"This is Eliza Maza," the clan's leader introduced. "Uh…'detective'?"

Eliza explained what a detective was. After the explanation finished, Hi-Jax looked to sky. It was starting to become brighter and brighter.

"Goliath," Hi-Jax pointed out to the clan. The gargoyles then turned to where the anomaly was pointing. Their leader's eyes narrowed in concern.

"You have to go now," explained Goliath to Eliza.

"Wait. Is there a chance I can meet you again? I'd like to know more about you. Look, you saved my life so I owe you. You need someone to explain this city to you. You need to know how it works."

"If we're to stand any chance of protecting the castle," sighed Goliath, agreeing with her logic, "I suppose we have to be ready for whatever's thrown at us."

The corners of Hi-Jax's mouth started to form into a trusting smile. The other gargoyles appeared content.

"Very well. We'll talk later."

With that, the others departed to take their sleeping places in the castle, leaving Goliath, Hi-Jax and Eliza all alone.

"So…when do you want to meet?" the detective asked. "Tomorrow's my day off, so…"

"Meet me at…"

"WAIT," interrupted Hi-Jax, his hand commanding them to be silent. "Something's come up…we're not alone…"

"Is it Heartless?" asked Goliath, even more concerned.

"I think so," he said, unsure. "The darkness is approaching. It's…so concentrated."

The eighteen-year-old focused for a few seconds on what exactly this darkness was and where it was coming from.

When he stopped, his eyes shot open in shock.

"It's Shadows…a whole _swarm_ of them crawling up the side of the castle!"

"What?" Goliath's eyes also widened in shock._ No. Not now. We're defenceless!_

"What's going on?" asked Eliza. "What are Heartless? What darkness are you talking about?"

Hi-Jax summoned his swords and leapt over the battlements, his feet landing and sticking on the side of the building, as he got ready to engage…

"Nothing?!"

True enough, there was _no _swarm of Heartless crawling up the side of the castle. There were no enemies whatsoever.

And then Hi-Jax noticed an odd cloud of darkness. He could tell that it had been massive to start out with, and now it was rapidly decreasing in size. A few seconds later, it dissipated into nothing. It was bizarre, unlike anything Hi-Jax had seen before.

_I've been had_, realised the teenager. Then he looked back up to battlements shouting, "GOLIATH! ELIZA! LOOK OUT!"

Too late.

A tranquillizer dart whizzed through the air and landed right in Goliath's arm, the fast-acting sedative instantly bringing the great titan to his knees.

Then the Heartless began popping up out of the ground. After everything she had seen tonight, the arrival of these ungodly creatures made Eliza wonder if she was dreaming. She wondered what she could do now, seeing as how Goliath had crushed her firearm. She was weaponless.

The Shadows surrounded her, advancing slowly and menacingly towards her. Hi-Jax made it back to horizontal level, and saw Eliza in trouble. He tried to reach her, only to be greeted by a tidal wave of Shadows that overwhelmed him, forcing him back over the edge, and sending him plummeting to his doom.

Goliath managed to swat away a few Heartless but the drug had weakened him greatly. His strength was much less than what it had been. More Heartless were materialising out of nowhere.

And the sun was rising.

Then Ilxsa arrived.

She held her hand out, commanding the Shadows surrounding Eliza to remain still. They froze on the spot. The detective looked up at the Unknown in anger.

"What do you want?" she angrily demanded.

"We're just finishing business," the Darkest Exile simply explained before turning to Goliath, who tried to roar to summon his friends.

"It is futile to ask for help. All your friends have been occupied with troubles of their own. But do not despair. You can take solace in the fact that they will be joining you in oblivion very shortly."

"No…" seethed Goliath, trying desperately to rise. "I…_won't_…let you!"

"The choice is in fate's hands," she unemotionally pointed out towards the sun. "Not yours."

"No…" was Goliath's last word.

Before he turned to stone.

Eliza gasped in shock once again.

"Goliath!" she screamed, running away from the still-frozen Heartless trying to reach the now slumbering gargoyle.

"GOLIATH!"

Ilxsa just teleported away.

After she had commanded the Shadows to go after Eliza.


	6. Chapter 6: Unseen Strings

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 6: Unseen Strings_**

Hi-Jax's roars were deafening, almost as much as the gargoyles, as his light burst out, obliterating the vast swarm of Shadows that almost overwhelmed him. Reasserting himself as his light faded, Hi-Jax halted his descent and then quickly flew back up to the castle. He landed over the battlements to see Eliza in trouble.

The fact that she was no longer armed didn't deter the strong-willed police detective. Skilled in the basic forms of hand-to-hand combat, she managed to duck and side-step the claw swipes and respond with kicks and shoulder-barges. But at best, it was only keeping the Heartless away from Goliath. Ilxsa had sent them to destroy the gargoyles while they slept. It was the perfect opportunity, during the daytime, to shatter their stone bodies.

_Like I said before, Ilxsa_, Hi-Jax thought as he threw fireballs at the Shadows that emerged slowly from the ground. _You sure know how to use Heartless._

Then the Heartless decided to pounce on Eliza. There was nowhere for her to go, nothing she could do but duck and cover, hoping for a miracle of some kind.

She got one. The Heartless froze in mid-air before they could land on top of the police detective. She opened her eyes and slowly, cautiously rose to her feet. And then the Heartless exploded into dark mist. She then turned round to see Hi-Jax's sword fading out of his grasp as he stood up behind her, turning round to greet her.

"You _are _good," nodded Eliza, impressed.

"So are you, detective," conceded Hi-Jax. "No firearm and yet that hasn't stopped you from trying to fight for us."

"It's as you said. I know how not to become too dependent on my gifts. Or in this case, the overrated use of _guns_."

She then turned to Goliath, kneeling down and placing her hand on his shoulder, shouting his name in desperation.

"It's no good," dismissed Hi-Jax. "Shout all you want, they won't wake up until nightfall."

"Wake up? He…they're all _sleeping_?!"

"Studied their history during my schooling. Turn to stone during the day, so the legends said. Needless to say, I was really hoping that part wasn't true."

"So what do we do now? Why hasn't Xanatos sent security up here? It's his building! Surely he must have been notified about this attack!"

"What an _excellent_ question," nodded Hi-Jax darkly in agreement. "I _would _like to think that our host has got problems of his own."

"And _do _you?"

"Not really."

"Smart boy," smiled Eliza fleetingly, before turning her concerned face towards the direction of where the other clan members had gone to sleep.

"The others…"

"I _know_. The Heartless have left Goliath alone for now. I can sense that they're concentrating now on his friends."

"Can't you just…_wish _them all away?!"

"I have to conserve my powers!" protested the teenage anomaly. "More of these things would keep comin' to take their place, anyway!"

"So what do we do?"

"Come on! We've gotta help the others! I know exactly where they are! This way!"

Hi-Jax sprinted away to safeguard the other members of the Wyvern Clan, with Eliza following right behind him. A few seconds after they'd gone, Xanatos' accomplice emerged from the shadows, looking in the direction they'd just gone.

_She_ then smiled, satisfied, saying to herself, "You _were_ right, Xanatos. Things _are_ going according to plan."

* * *

The other gargoyles had expressions of fury etched on their stone faces. Their positions suggested that they had tried to fend off as many Heartless as possible, to try and take as many with them as possible before they succumbed to the inevitable.

Now the Heartless were crawling all over them, swiping away to try and smash them into pieces.

"Get off," ordered Hi-Jax as he threw shards of light at the Heartless, eliminating them with pinpoint accuracy whilst causing no damage to the sleeping clan. Then with a single stroke of his sword of darkness, he easily eliminated the remainder that surrounded the clan.

All was still for the next few moments. Not a sound could be heard in the castle…

Then the Heartless emerged all over again.

Now they started advancing towards Hi-Jax and Eliza, eyes locked on theirs. The teenage anomaly summoned his sword of light and stepped in front of the detective.

"Stay behind me."

"No way. We're in this _together_," Eliza said with determination, taking her place by her side.

_Together?_ thought Hi-Jax in wonderment. _How long has it been since I've been fighting side-by-side with someone? Where has being alone got me in the long-term? Really? Why have I been trying so hard to survive alone? Is it because of DiZ's warnings? Or because deep down I'm afraid of losing friends and family again?_

Some of the Heartless twitched for a few moments before deciding to attack. Hi-Jax was easily able to dispatch them. The swarm of Heartless paused, where a few more took their turn to attack. Eliza kicked them back, and Hi-Jax eliminated them. But then more started to attack, and then more fell.

More attacked, more fell. But the attacks became more and more intense and frequent, putting great pressure on the will to survive.

"How do you beat these things?!" Eliza asked, kicking away at another Shadow.

"Traditionally, you take out their leader and that's that," Hi-Jax yelled back, carving up five more Heartless. "But their leader doesn't seem to be around here at the moment, so at the moment your guess is as good as mine!"

Hi-Jax carved up more Heartless, but both knew that this was futile. They couldn't keep this up forever. In the heat of the situation, Eliza tried desperately to come up with a plan. She avoided the leaping claw strike that came her way and then, unable to think of anything else more effective, asked Hi-Jax, "Can't we try and lure them away from the gargoyles? Their attention seems focused only on _us _now!"

"I really doubt whoever's pulling their strings will feel that way after we've taken off!"

"Any better ideas?!"

Hi-Jax thought about it for a second as he impaled another Shadow.

"No! Follow me!" he agreed as he opened a portal to take them away from the castle. Eliza couldn't help but succumb to surprise yet again at the sight of the swirling dark gateway.

"Now, I've seen everything!"

"No, you haven't!"

Hi-Jax grabbed Eliza and they took off into the portal. He looked back at the Heartless, giving them a taunting smile. The dark creatures stood still for a moment before chasing after the two of them, leaving the gargoyles behind.

The portal opened in Central Park, and Hi-Jax and Eliza flew out of the dark gateway and landed on their feet. They looked back at the portal for a few seconds.

No Heartless came out.

A few seconds later.

_Still _no Heartless came out.

Eliza's eyes narrowed. "Where are they?"

Hi-Jax closed the portal. For a few seconds, all was still again. This was a very quiet section of the park. Not many civilians came here, especially at this time of morning.

Hi-Jax then caught the scent of darkness.

"MOVE!!!" he yelled, grabbing her as they only just managed to avoid the explosive blast. They picked themselves up off the ground to see twenty Surveillance Robots hovering above them, their guns glowing as they prepared to fire.

"Come on! I've got an idea!" shouted Eliza as she ran, leading Hi-Jax away from the shower of gunfire. Hi-Jax followed right behind her, choosing to trust the detective.

"Stay in front!" Hi-Jax told her, as he flew behind her, using his shields to block and repel the Surveillance Robots' firepower. Neo-Shadows then rose out of the ground, with Hi-Jax using powerful Thundaga magic to destroy them before they could fully emerge.

Eliza, who had now fully accepted that all this mad fantasy was total reality, ignored all the magic Hi-Jax was unleashing, all the intense warring, and focused only on going where she wanted to go.

A few minutes more on the run, Hi-Jax asked, "So, what's this idea of yours, then?!"

"Did we lose them?!" she asked.

"For the moment," he answered, his feet touching the ground so he could run along side her.

"Good." She then looked in front of her and pointed to a nearby boathouse. "In there!"

Hi-Jax, deciding not to ask, ran up ahead of her to open the door. Eliza followed through and the eighteen-year-old anomaly then quickly entered and shut the door behind them. The police detective then pressed her back against the wall, taking a deep breath, getting ready for the next move. The anomaly also had his back pressed against the wall, only a few feet apart from Eliza.

"No offence, but I don't think hiding in the boathouse was such a great way to lose them. They're coming again, I can smell it."

"Trust me," she whispered.

Outside, the Surveillance Robots all hovered before the boathouse, only a few metres apart. Ilxsa then faded into existence, taking her place alongside her Heartless troops. She then stared at the boathouse for a few seconds before flicking out a hand towards the boathouse.

The Surveillance Robots all opened fire, and in a matter of seconds, the combined firepower ignited the gasoline supply inside, making the boathouse explode into a great inferno.

Ilxsa ordered her Heartless to stand down. She then spent the next few moments staring at the roaring fire and the black smoke rising high into the sky.

"That settles that," was all she said.

A few kilometres away from the burning boathouse…

Hi-Jax and Eliza both gasped for air as they safely emerged from the river, having got out of the death trap just in time and swam far enough to put themselves a fair distance apart from the Heartless.

Hi-Jax swam to the bank and climbed up out of the river, helping Eliza. They took a moment to catch their breaths. After quickly regaining their composure, the police officer and anomaly stood up right.

"Good plan," commended Hi-Jax. "Doubt it'll convince them that we've bought it, though, to be honest."

"Doesn't matter," Eliza said, shaking her head. "They won't bother wasting time coming after us _now_. And Xanatos _should _be on his guard now at the castle. I think we did it."

"Let's hope so," nodded Hi-Jax, thinking about Xanatos, and why neither he nor his security had shown up during the last attack. "What's he up to, anyway?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question," confessed Eliza. "You said that the Heartless attacked his building last night."

"And _this _attack _seems _to corroborate his story of this 'Cyberbiotics' out to get him and those associated with him."

"Did you say 'Cyberbiotics'?"

"Yeah. What do you know about them?"

"Rival corporation, pretty much into the same fields of research and development Xanatos Enterprises is into, been a real race for business supremacy between them…what exactly did Xanatos say to you when you first met him?"

"That the Heartless were working for someone called 'Ilxsa', who in turn works for Cyberbiotics."

"'Ilxsa?'"

"She wears a black coat…"

"I saw her when the Heartless attacked," pointed out the detective. "She was leading them."

"Again, it all _seems _to fit with Xanatos' little tale," thought Hi-Jax out loud as he put his hand round his chin.

"What do you mean by 'seems'?"

"Ilxsa's a Nobody," began the anomaly. "When a strong-hearted person loses their heart and becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is created, too. Some of these Nobodies are exceptionally powerful. Powerful enough to retain a human appearance. They wear black coats and call themselves 'Organization XIII'. And before you ask, I know them because they were the ones that undid my life." Eliza instantly saw the bitterness when Hi-Jax said that last part.

Continuing, Hi-Jax furthered, "They're all _very _dangerous. And each one has their own element of power to control. Ice, thunder, fire, time, space, light…you name it. I reckon Ilxsa's capable of controlling the dark element. That'd probably explain why she was able to fool me into thinking Heartless were coming up the side of the building…and why I saw that odd dark cloud…"

"So why is this Organization working with Cyberbiotics, then?"

"I really don't know," answered Hi-Jax, shaking his head in frustration. "And I would very much _like_ to know."

"When I questioned Xanatos last night," confessed Eliza, "he said that a rival corporation had tried to steal some of his technology. Did he say anything to you and Goliath about what they were after?"

"After the battle had ended, he said that the Heartless had stolen a box containing data disks. According to him, they had very valuable information on them. He asked us all to retrieve them for him. Going on about how recent circumstances have 'linked us all together' and that 'our enemies mean to use the information for some terrible purpose'."

The police officer's eyes narrowed.

"I'm gonna have to have a serious look into all of this," she decided. Her gut feeling was telling her that Xanatos was up to something. He had always had a law-abiding reputation, but that didn't make everything all right in Eliza's eyes. He'd gone to an awful lot of trouble to awaken the gargoyles, and it had to be for more than simple friendship.

"Right, can you take us back to the castle? I think we should check on the others."

"No problem," nodded Hi-Jax, opening another portal. "So much for your day off, eh?"

"It happens," she shrugged, smiling as they walked into the dark gateway.

* * *

When they got back to the castle, Hi-Jax and Eliza were relieved that the Wyvern Clan were still asleep, perfectly alright and just as they had been. After checking up on Goliath, Eliza had made sure to pick up something off the ground by Goliath's feet. It was the tranquillizer dart. Eliza deducted that it had come from a sniper rifle, naturally fired from a distance. The detective also noted an interesting serial number inscribed on the dart, meaning that she could trace the serial number and find out who had developed the chemical, maybe providing a clue to who shot Goliath.

Eliza opted to investigate what was going on as soon as she was sure that Goliath and the others were okay. Hi-Jax agreed to play along with Xanatos' little game until they could get to the bottom of this.

The hours passed.

Hi-Jax had helped himself and Eliza to refreshments from Xanatos' kitchen, taking advantage of the fact that he was still his guest. There was still no sign of Xanatos or Burnett, which only added to the mystery.

After food and drink, came conversation between the detective and the teenage outworlder. Numerous things about their lives and what they both hoped to do with their future. And then Eliza sat huddled near Goliath, while Hi-Jax stood on watch, surveying the view of Manhattan while keeping a lookout. Both kept taking turns to rest and lookout to make the hours pass.

Eventually, the sunset died to allow nightfall to awaken.

Eliza, who had been on lookout for the last half-hour, turned to hear and then see the cracks appearing all over Goliath. Hi-Jax instantly woke up, sensing the gargoyle's heart come to life again, signalling his awakening. Bellowing roars, mixed with subsiding yawns, accompanied the gargoyle leader and his clan's triumphant return.

Eliza shielded her eyes temporarily as stone fragments flew everywhere. Hi-Jax, ignoring the remnants of sheathed 'skin', smiled as Goliath looked at the two of them, appearing fit, well and awake.

"Goliath?" asked Eliza, approaching the titan out of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," he answered, appearing content.

"That sedative they hit you with…" she remarked, placing her hand on the gargoyle's arm, "it seems to have worn off."

"Sleep rejuvenates us," he explained. Then his eyes widened in horror as he turned to Hi-Jax. "The others…?!"

"They're all fine," assured Hi-Jax. "Absolutely fine. The Heartless were taken care of. Wasn't easy but we managed it. They haven't tried anything else since."

Goliath looked to both of them, his eyes narrowing. Hi-Jax could read a controlled form of amazement in them.

"You both stayed with us…throughout the _entire day_?"

"Yeah, well…" shrugged Eliza modestly as she placed her hands in her jacket, "we had to make sure those alien invader wannabes didn't come after you again."

"It's what friends do, Goliath," Hi-Jax explained, displaying the same contentment on his face that the gargoyle was.

"Thank you. _Both_ of you. It's very possible that…you saved our lives."

He offered his hand to Eliza, who smiled and, taking her own hand out of her pocket, shook it. Then, Goliath smiled as he offered a hand of friendship to Hi-Jax. The teenage human appeared stone-faced for a moment, thinking about how long it had been since he'd had friends. And at last, he'd found some. Some that he knew now…he could never ever lose.

The anomaly smiled back as he shook the gargoyle's hand.

"So now we're all even," Eliza remarked.

"We must meet the others," insisted Goliath. "They'll be worried about us."

"I understand," nodded the detective, getting ready to leave.

"You're not staying?"

"No, I've got to check in with my department. After all that business with the Heartless, my boss'll probably want a report on his desk. Don't worry, I'll keep a lid on you guys. There's some other stuff I've gotta look into as well."

"We understand," nodded Goliath. Eliza walked a few paces, stopped and then looked back towards Hi-Jax and Goliath, hopefully smiling, "So…later tonight?"

Goliath and Hi-Jax looked to one another, then to Eliza and smiled and nodded at her.

They then parted ways.

* * *

"Chins up, lads," said the oldest gargoyle to the others as they continued to search the castle for Goliath. "If we're alright, he will be. too. After all, we didn't survive a thousand years sleep just to lose him now."

"I hope you're right," sighed the red-skinny gargoyle. The gargbeast also moaned in despair.

"Look!" the skinny one pointed in delight. The others smiled in total relief and appreciation as Goliath and Hi-Jax appeared round the corner to reunite with them.

"We were worried about you!"

"What happened?"

"_It appears we have enemies_," began Goliath darkly.

In his office, Xanatos, having seen enough, turned the screen off. Then he turned to his right-hand man.

"We're ready for them now, Owen."

Back outside on the castle grounds, Hi-Jax had just finished explaining his side of the story.

"Given everything that's happened," Goliath thought out loud, "it all seems to tie in with Xanatos' story."

"Emphasis on 'seems to'," pointed out Hi-Jax, still having his doubts.

"And you say Xanatos wasn't anywhere around during and after the attack, lad?" asked the old gargoyle.

"Couldn't find him. Whatever the reasons for his disappearance, it all translates into suspicious…" Hi-Jax stopped abruptly when he remembered that Goliath was the only Gargoyle with a name.

"Just out of interest," Hi-Jax asked, feeling it appropriate to change the subject now they'd all grown closer, "what do I call you other than 'friend'?"

The elderly second-in-command raised a perplexed eyebrow.

"Must you humans name _everything_?" he asked, not really understanding the importance of the subject. "To you, something isn't real until you've named it. Giving it _limits_."

"It's got absolutely nothing to do with restrictions," argued Hi-Jax simply. "When my old name was gone…I lost much more than a mere word for people to identify with. Without a name, you're incomplete. You don't feel half as proud as you should be. You're _empty_ without one in my opinion. That's why things _need_ names. I mean, look at your _castle_. it's called Castle Wyvern. Don't you agree that a name makes it that extra bit special?"

"Doesn't necessarily mean _every_thing needs a name, lad," doubted the old second-in-command. "Does the _sky _need a name? Does the _river_?"

The teenage human turned to see where the gargoyle was pointing. The anomaly smiled as he looked across the Manhattan view to see the river, remembering his schooling.

Turning back to the gargoyle, Hi-Jax smiled, "Apparently, the people of New York call that river the 'Hudson'."

The old second-in-command turned to Goliath, who just smiled at him. The others seemed keenly interested in Hi-Jax's philosophy.

"Fine, lad," sighed the old gargoyle, conceding. "Then I will be the 'Hudson', as well."

"Fair enough," nodded Hi-Jax, thinking that the gargoyle's new name would work, given the recent circumstances.

"Hi-Jax is right," said the red-skinny gargoyle, enthusiastically. "Names _are _important, so the rest of us should choose names, too. Names that suit our new lives here."

"Oh?" enquired an interested Goliath, who raised an eyebrow. "And what might they be?"

The red-skinny gargoyle thought about what his name would be for a moment. The gargoyles hadn't had much of a chance to adapt to all the changes of this century. Nonetheless, they had learned quite a few things already about this world in the short space of time available.

And the red-skinny gargoyle had soon remembered something that inspired his new name.

"Brooklyn," he pointed to himself, confidently. "I'm Brooklyn!"

"Broadway!" declared the largest and blue one, proudly.

"L-Lexington!" announced the small, green one, somewhat hesitantly. "Do…do you like it?"

"Personally?" opinionated Hi-Jax. "They work for me."

Goliath and Hudson looked to one another, smiling.

"They're all fine names," the leader said to all of them, before looking to the gargbeast. "I guess _he'll _need one as well."

"Oh, I've got the _perfect _name for him!" said Brooklyn, clearly excited. He knelt down, placing his hand on the watchdog's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"From now on…you're Bronx."

The gargbeast, clearly unimpressed turned and walked away from a surprised Brooklyn.

"I think he likes it!" laughed Lexington. The merriment was cut short, however, by an obvious, attention-grabbing cough. Which came the doorway near them.

Owen Burnett stepped out of the shadows, much to everyone's displeasure.

"Oh," said Hi-Jax. "Long siege, no see. What happened to _you_?"

"The Heartless were everywhere," explained Burnett, rather woodenly. "They even materialised in Mr Xanatos' office. Tragically, some of our security were even turned into Heartless themselves. The outbreak spread out onto the streets, where many more innocent lives were lost. We spent the whole day trying to bring an end to the chaos as quickly as possible. Mr Xanatos had to attend many press conferences to assure an end would be brought to the attacks and that he would be working with others to do so. We have only just returned to the building."

"I see," was all Hi-Jax said, not entirely trusting Burnett's story. Even though he felt it a very good and intelligent one.

_Cleverly devised and rather convenient_, the anomaly thought but he knew he couldn't dismiss the Heartless. Stealing hearts, creating terror everywhere they went…that couldn't be argued against. Hi-Jax knew it and the shocked expressions of the gargoyles meant that they had accepted the painful truth that this war was affecting everyone and everything, including humans and gargoyles.

"Goliath, Mr Xanatos wishes to see you immediately. It's a personal matter that demands your attention."

Goliath just narrowed his eyes at Burnett for a few seconds, then looked to the rest of his clan and finally at Hi-Jax. He then followed Burnett to Xanatos' office.

* * *

"He's been gone a long time," remarked Brooklyn suspiciously. "I wonder what's come up."

"Probably something to do with what Xanatos has asked of us," said Hi-Jax.

"Hi-Jax," began Lexington, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You know you're from another world?"

The teenager looked to the small gargoyle, unsure about where this was going. The relationship between Hi-Jax and the gargoyles had improved because of the recent events. Trust had now formed between them, but Hi-Jax still wasn't sure about sharing his darkest secrets with them.

Nonetheless, he replied, "What about it, Lexington?"

"This Sharak…our ancestors fought alongside those who destroyed him and the first generation of Heartless. We remembered the legends. Exactly how much do you know about that specific battle?"

A silence fell. Hi-Jax thought about where Lexington was coming from and the reasons why he wanted to know. This was one of those cases in history that united humans and gargoyles together as friends _and _allies. And now comparing notes was being used as a means to rebuild relationships between the two races. And maybe both could learn from one another how the seeds of distrust had been sewn which resulted in the uneasiness between the races.

Which in turn would lead to the Wyvern massacre.

Sitting down on the ground, Hi-Jax started to tell them what he knew.

"Before the time reversal…when I was six…Sharak killed my family. A few years after that, I was taken in by a society known as the Council of Light. I learnt so much, learnt how to _do_ so much under their tutelage."

The others sat down as well as he continued.

"They taught me so much about Sharak and the Heartless. The very first universal war between light and darkness…yes, gargoyles fought alongside not only humans…but others as well."

"What do you mean by 'others'?" asked Broadway.

"I had friends who are…different than you and me. Different _races _of beings, from different worlds. And they all came together to stop Sharak. When it ended, all the worlds lived together, but separately as a means to ensure peace. To prevent further war from breaking out. As a result…"

The conversation came to a very abrupt and unnatural end when two arrivals stepped out into the open. The second was Goliath, who appeared to be happier than he had been for centuries. The reason instantly became apparent to Hi-Jax by the arrival of a brand new gargoyle, the arrival who had emerged before him.

The new gargoyle was female, and naturally very beautiful. She was light-blue skinned and sporting bushy, blood-red hair, shredded clothing, a golden tiara, a gold armband on her left arm and a gold bracelet round her left ankle. She appeared every bit as demonic as she was beautiful. It was obvious she was the love of Goliath's life.

"Lass!" exclaimed Hudson in sheer joy. He and the others shot up to their feet to greet her. Bronx was the first, licking her hand affectionately. The female gargoyle returned the affection by happily stroking his forehead.

"I can't believe it!" beamed a surprised Brooklyn.

"How did you…?!" asked an ecstatic Lexington.

"I'll answer all your questions later," she smiled, equally happy to see her fellow clan members. "It's just so good to see all of you again!"

Hi-Jax decided 'taking a peek' couldn't hurt. After all, this was yet another development that had come out of nowhere. He felt it his right to shed a bit more light on it.

_Maybe this is hypocritical of what I felt last night, _he thought. _Violating the trust of this clan…but hey, blame the dark half of my being._

Hi-Jax read her heart. She didn't have a name, which made blatant sense. She was Goliath's mate and second-in-command, long thought shattered by the Vikings that had conquered Castle Wyvern. She had feared for Goliath's safety when he and Hudson had left the castle to put an end to the Viking menace, thus following them. And like the other survivors, she had turned to stone and remained safely hidden away from the massacre. She later returned to the castle to discover that the magus had cursed them. She begged him to do the same so that they might awaken together.

Later, she had been awakened by Xanatos shortly after Goliath and the others had.

_Apparently_, that was the story. Hi-Jax wasn't sure of the legitimacy of the tale. The teenager noted a darkness in her heart that seemed more intense than any of her comrades. But Hi-Jax decided that it was enough prying now. Goliath's love turned to him, smiling warmly and offering a hand of friendship.

"You must be Hi-Jax. Goliath and Xanatos have told me so much about you, what you have done to ensure our kind still survives. Thank you so much."

_She SEEMS friendly enough. There's WAY too many 'seems' in all of this_, thought Hi-Jax, who nonetheless smiled and shook her hand, replying, "The pleasure is mine, ma'am. Really."

"Goliath, my love…" she turned to the Wyvern Clan's leader, "I have a favour to ask."

"_Anything_," he truthfully declared.

"Xanatos has told me of the disks that were stolen from him."

"Yes, he wants our help in retrieving them."

"And I think we _should_ help him. To show our gratitude for reuniting us, if nothing else."

"Yes," agreed Goliath. "And perhaps in doing so, we can rid ourselves of the Heartless creatures who hunt us. Besides…"

Goliath took his mate's hand and kissed it.

"With you by my side, I can do _anything_."

Goliath's love smiled warmly at him.

* * *

Xanatos had briefed Hi-Jax, Goliath and his love on the layout of the main Cyberbiotics complex. The data was being held in three separate locations in New York. One was a tower on a desert island. The other was a complex hidden beneath the city that led from an abandoned subway line. Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington went for the tower. Hudson and Bronx had gone for the subway hideout.

Leaving the remaining three to go for the main factory/industrial site in downtown to obtain their disk. The trio, defying the air with no effort at all, soon made it to the main Cyberbiotics complex.

Hi-Jax had agreed to play along with whatever Xanatos was up to. If it was something wrong, then he and Eliza had agreed to let it go until they uncovered the truth. That way, it would be easy to nail Xanatos afterwards.

Hi-Jax re-evaluated his reasons for not trusting Xanatos. All the trouble he'd gone to bringing the Wyvern Clan to Manhattan for no apparent reason. His absence during the Heartless' second attack on the castle. His insistence on Ilxsa being involved with Cyberbiotics. His very well disguised refusal to listen to Hi-Jax's stories about the Organization.

And his whole calm, controlled and professional persona. In Hi-Jax's eyes, it reminded him so much of DiZ. There was no way of knowing what side he was on, what he was doing and why.

And yet…Xanatos had awakened the clan from a thousand year sleep. He had shown guts by fighting the Heartless last night. He had proven that he wasn't _all_ bad.

Hi-Jax remembered what DiZ had told him a year ago.

"_You either trust someone or you don't. That's all there is to it."_

And Hi-Jax had decided that he _didn't _trust Xanatos. And if he was proven wrong for not trusting him later on, Hi-Jax would stand corrected.

"Hi-Jax," said Goliath, making the anomaly snap out of his thoughts, "are you ready?"

"Whenever you two are," he answered immediately and affirmatively.

After they had landed on the roof, Hi-Jax, Goliath and his love made it inside using the air vents. There was no one inside. In fact, the complex had been ravaged. Either a huge battle or an outbreak had occurred.

The atmosphere began to feel as cold and as silent as a tomb.

Which was justified by a scientist who was out of breath, tripping over and fearing for his life. He reached out to Hi-Jax and the two gargoyles, not caring for their appearance. He had seen worse, and he didn't care what help he got so long as it saved him.

"P-please! Help us!" he cried hysterically. "Monsters! They're…!"

Dark trails of smoke began to emit from his heart. Clutching it, he fell to the ground, struggling mightily for breath. Seconds later, the darkness had claimed him. And to Hi-Jax's anger, Goliath's shock and the female gargoyle's hidden amusement, a Gargoyle Heartless was now all there was.

And then it teleported away.

"Cyberbiotics must have been artificially producing Heartless," explained Goliath's love, turning amusement into professional evaluation. "He obviously wanted no part of it."

"Obviously…" seethed Hi-Jax, yet he wasn't quite sure about Cyberbiotics deliberately turning people into Heartless. It all seemed dubious.

"If they are using Heartless," surmised Goliath, "the disk will be well-guarded, no doubt."

"If humans wish to throw away their weak hearts or even their worthless lives guarding it, that's _their_ concern," dismissed the female gargoyle, rather coldly.

Goliath was shocked when she had said that. True, she had never been very fond of humans for their past prejudice towards gargoyles, but she had never expressed her dislike as callously as that. Hi-Jax narrowed his eyes at her, taking offence to what she had just said.

The female gargoyle noticed this and smiled, albeit somewhat slyly, "Of course, no offence whatsoever to _you_, Hi-Jax."

She turned and walked in the direction to where Xanatos said the disk was being kept.

Goliath turned to Hi-Jax, saying, "Hi-Jax, I apologise. I…"

"Let's just do what we came here to do, Goliath," was all he said, eyes narrowed at the female gargoyle as they began to follow her.

Minutes later, they encountered Neo-Shadows and Heartless Gargoyles. They easily despatched them in no time at all. And before long, after more fighting and destroying, they made it to the main research and development deck.

The room was heavily damaged. Computer consoles had been destroyed, equipment had been smashed and broken; the signs all pointed to a Heartless rampage.

And there was no sign of any other scientists, authorised personnel or staff.

Hi-Jax, Goliath and his mate looked around them. There was no one here.

The teenage anomaly's eyes then narrowed evilly as he looked to the far end of the room.

A hooded individual, dressed in black, whose back was turned on them.

"Giving up time, Ilxsa," shouted Hi-Jax to the Unknown. Goliath and his love looked at one another in confusion.

"Hi-Jax…?" asked Goliath.

"'Ilxsa'?" replied a female voice. "Oh, Adam. Poor stupid, hopeless, pathetic Adam. You really don't have a clue what's going on, do you? Just like _last _time."

Hi-Jax's eyes widened in absolute shock.

He instantly recognised her voice.

He couldn't grasp how this was possible.

It was a trick, it _had _to be. But when he looked deep into the Nobody's being…it was real. And it was a scent he was all too familiar with.

She turned round, giggling evilly to mock Hi-Jax. She lowered her hood to reveal the face of a beautiful, yet blatantly evil woman, with short blond hair and two strands of it curved round and over her head.

She blew Hi-Jax a kiss, then folded her arms sniggering, "Hello, baby-boy. Are you _still _missing me?"

She was Larxene, The Savage Nymph. No. 12 of the Organization and its only female member. She had led an army of Dusks to invade Castle Mahanah and tear it and Adam's life down for the reversal of time. She had tormented Hi-Jax mercilessly, helping to shape him into what he was now. She had also conspired to overthrow Xemnas with Marluxia, tormented Sora, abused Naminé and was eventually killed by the Keybearer.

Hi-Jax just stayed stock still, frozen with shock.

"Hi-Jax?" asked Goliath. "You look as though you've seen a…"

"YOU!!!" roared the eighteen-year-old, flying towards Larxene, punching her violently in the stomach, then delivering a vicious uppercut and a kick to the side of the head that sent her flying against the wall.

Larxene, hurt and now lying on the floor, nonetheless smiled evilly at Hi-Jax as he pounced on top of her, pinning her down and throttling her.

"Can't…_ever_…let…me…go, can…you?" she choked whilst smiling. "In…every…sense."

"YOU'RE DEAD!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU HEARTLESS, FILTHY, VERMINOUS…??!!"

"Hi-Jax, what are you doing?!" yelled Goliath, trying to pull him off of Larxene. "Control yourself!"

"You don't know, Goliath!" Hi-Jax yelled back. "She has to pay for what she's done! She…!"

"She _who_?!" asked Goliath's love, also trying to make him snap back to his senses. "There's no one here!"

Confused, Hi-Jax turned to look back at Larxene.

She was no longer there.

Absolutely shocked, Hi-Jax quickly stood up, sniffing for Larxene's scent, only to find nothing. There were no Nobody scents anywhere around.

Beyond confused, he turned to the gargoyles.

"There…there was no one there?!"

"You were talking to _yourself_!" reassured Goliath's love. "You were _delirious_!"

"Hi-Jax…what's _wrong _with you?" asked a concerned Goliath.

"I…I…"

The anomaly had absolutely no idea. He could've sworn it was Larxene that had just returned from the grave. He'd remembered her scent and would know it anywhere. Hi-Jax would truthfully admit that he'd had had a hard time believing it, but everything had checked out. It _was_ her.

But _now_…it was as though nothing had happened.

Larxene was dead. The fact that she was gone for good hammered itself into Hi-Jax's consciousness.

_Why did I just lose my sanity like that?_ wondered Hi-Jax, secretly bewildered.

And _scared_.

_What's happening to me?_

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed drastically when the room started to shake as though an earthquake was rocking the foundations. Seconds later, a giant Heartless burst through the floor. The sight of it made Hi-Jax and the gargoyles' eyes widen. It was half the size of the room, with horrible purple skin, incredibly muscular, slanted, glowing yellow eyes, the Heartless emblem on its chest, black wings that had chunks bitten out of them, black horns, four arms and a savage-looking mouth with a big pyre of flame burning inside it.

Its roars echoed throughout the entire Cyberbiotics complex, rattling every inch of it. Then it raised its fists up high, getting ready to bring them down with full brute force on its targets.

"SCRAMBLE!" ordered Goliath as they all scattered, only just managing to avoid the earth-shaking blow, which threatened to tear the whole complex down.

The Heartless, which Hi-Jax had identified with his powers as a Leviathan, began striking the air and the ground, its fists independently striking for its targets. Goliath and his mate gracefully managed to glide away from the ungodly powerful strikes and retaliated with hit-and-run strikes to the giant Heartless' face.

Its attention now focused on the gargoyles, Hi-Jax took advantage of the opening, using his swords of light and dark to deliver a swift, vicious, double-strike dash attack to the monstrosity's ankle. The Leviathan howled in pain and fell to its knees, allowing Hi-Jax and Goliath to double-team the monster. Hi-Jax used powerful Thundaga magic to hammer the giant Heartless repeatedly, while Goliath violently slashed the creature's face with his claws, whipped it with his tail, and used every ounce of strength to punish it.

Goliath's love also joined in the relentless onslaught, using powerful Firaga and Blizzaga spells to shower the Leviathan with pain.

"Didn't know your fiancée knew magic," said a surprised Hi-Jax to Goliath, neither of whom relented in their attack

"Neither did I," confessed an equally surprised Goliath.

Then without warning, the Leviathan struck out with its powerful arms, connecting with the anomaly and the gargoyles and sending them flying across the room. They only just managed to recover and reassert themselves. Then things got worse, when the giant Heartless span round on the spot and whipped its tail at them. The impact was brutal and sent them smashing against the wall.

Groggily, they all looked up to see the giant ball of flame in the Leviathan's mouth begin to burn more intensely, getting ready to unleash. The female gargoyle's eyes widened as she quickly cast a Curaga spell to heal herself, Goliath and Hi-Jax. Their health and magic replenished, they quickly avoided the huge blast of flame that came from the creature's mouth. The fire immediately spread, ravaging the already torn apart research and development deck even more.

Knowing that they didn't have long left to accomplish their mission, Hi-Jax and the female gargoyle combined their Blizzaga magic together and extinguished the fire in the giant Heartless' mouth. The creature roared in total pain as the bitterly intense cold numbed its throat and left it bewildered and injured.

Noticing some chain dangling from a hook near the rafters, the female gargoyle flew to it, wrenched it off the hook and hanging onto one end, threw the other end to Goliath. He caught it, understanding instinctively what to do. They flew round the creature's ankles, using the long chain to tie its ankles together and making the giant Heartless fall over onto its back.

Also understanding what to do, Hi-Jax put huge amounts of power into his swords and impaled them squarely into the Leviathan's chest. The giant Heartless screamed in dying agony. And seconds later, the Heartless vanished as a giant heart left its body and floated towards the sky.

Hi-Jax mopped his forehead with the sleeve of his coat, sighing in relief. He knew he'd have to be more conservative and resourceful than that in future in order to survive what lay ahead. Goliath also gave a sigh of relief as he looked to Hi-Jax and his love.

"Are you both alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Fine."

"Look!" pointed the female gargoyle to the spot where the giant Heartless had once stood. It was the disk they had come for. She picked it up to examine it.

"It's perfectly alright," she smiled. "The Heartless really took good care of it. And obviously, they didn't want to give it up without a fight."

A huge explosion then followed, rattling the entire deck yet again. The fire from the beast's mouth had spread, igniting the oil contained in some nearby drums. The flames spread and the smoke thickened greatly within seconds.

"This place won't last much longer!" cried the female gargoyle, sprinting for the emergency exit. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

"They could be human survivors elsewhere!" exclaimed Goliath. "We can't just leave them here!"

Goliath's mate stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him as though he had just said the stupidest thing anyone could ever say.

"The centuries have made you _weak_, Goliath!" she bellowed angrily as she grabbed him roughly by the arm and began pulling him towards the way out. "Let's _go_! NOW!"

Under normal circumstances, Hi-Jax wouldn't have let _anyone _get away with saying what she had said just now. Goliath's argument was sound. As the good guys, it was their job to try and rescue any survivors.

_I think you and I should have a serious heart-to-heart, _sneered Hi-Jax as he nonetheless followed the others out of the Cyberbiotics complex.

More and more explosions continued to happen. And minutes later, the entire Cyberbiotics facility erupted into a huge inferno, with a few humans panicking as they ran for their lives.

A fair distance away from the devastation, a police car halted. Detective Eliza Maza stepped out of the car to survey the horrific chaos. Emergency services were on their way but that didn't mean much to the mortified police officer.

She then looked up to the sky to see two gargoyles and a human flying away from the scene.

She didn't know what to make of it all. And she could only guess what Hi-Jax was thinking right now.

"Goliath?"

* * *

Back at Castle Wyvern, Xanatos and the other gargoyles were there, having successfully completed their missions and now waiting for the last three to return. A grateful Xanatos smiled as he finally saw Goliath, his mate and Hi-Jax finally return. After they landed, the female gargoyle walked up to the billionaire and handed him the final disk. A proud Goliath put his hand on the female's shoulder, who in turn smiled warmly back at him.

Hi-Jax just stared at Xanatos and the female gargoyle with his arms folded. The others seemed satisfied enough.

"My friends," Xanatos sincerely declared, "you have my profound thanks. Rest assured, that the knowledge on these disks will put to beneficial use for humans and gargoyles alike."

He turned to leave. Shortly after he'd gone, Goliath turned to the teenage anomaly.

"Hi-Jax?"

"Coming," he confirmed, very keen to see if Eliza had come up with anything.

"'Coming'?" asked the female gargoyle, immediately unsure that this was something she wanted to hear.

"We have promised to meet a friend," explained Goliath. "I'll be back soon."

"A friend? Who?" she demanded to know. "Not one of us, surely."

"No. A human. Eliza Maza."

"Aside from Xanatos and Hi-Jax, we have no human friends. Nor _should _we," she expressed angrily. "Humanity is our _enemy_, Goliath! I _thought_ you learnt that a millennia ago."

Hi-Jax had had more than enough of her heartless remarks about his race. And was about to step in when Goliath rebutted, "I cannot wage war upon an _entire world!_ Haven't Hi-Jax and Xanatos proven that there're good humans as well as bad?"

He turned to leave but the female stopped him, still insistent on continuing the argument.

"Can you forgive the ones for what they did to our _kind_?" she angrily asked, raising her voice.

Goliath, refusing to succumb to the heat of the argument, calmly replied, "The ones responsible for that have been _dead_ for a _thousand years_."

"Then their descendents shall pay!" she screamed with a vengeance. "I will have blood for blood!"

The other clan members chose not to intervene. Hi-Jax now glared at the female with a silent fury, trying hard to control himself.

Goliath looked away from her as he said, "You said the centuries have changed me. Well, they've changed you, too. You've become hard and unforgiving."

This made the anger on her face loosen considerably with surprise.

Goliath looked back at her with nothing but disappointment and sadness in his eyes.

"You're not as I remember you. I'm going to see my friend now."

"So be it," she dismissed, not taking his narrowed eyes off him as he walked away. He walked up to the battlements, spreading his wings and getting ready to take off.

He paused for a moment, asking, "Hi-Jax…are you still coming?"

The eighteen-year-old looked back to the rest of the Wyvern Clan, their faces not betraying any emotion. Except the female one.

"Right behind you. _Always_."

Goliath took off to rendezvous with Eliza. Hi-Jax was about to follow, when the female gargoyle snorted contemptuously, "Only _natural _for humans to conspire with humans."

"You know something, sweetheart…" the teenager turned icily towards her, "I really don't care if you're the love of Goliath's life. And I don't give a damn if you're part of a clan of gargoyles I've become pals with. I - _don't_ - like - you. So whatever you say to me now means _nothing_ to me. You nameless, hypocritical, bloodthirsty, psychotic _freak_."

She snarled venomously at him, her eyes glowing blood-red.

Ignoring her, Hi-Jax said, "_Guys_…see you later."

He took off into the sky, soon catching up with Goliath. The others just looked out to where the two had gone.

In his office, Xanatos turned the giant TV screen off. He put his remote down on his desk and then placed his hand round his chin in contemplation.

"Hmm…Goliath and Hi-Jax it would seem are too hard to control. _Pity_."

* * *

On a rooftop faraway from Xanatos' building, Eliza was there, with worry and distress all across her face. She had anxiously waited for Hi-Jax and Goliath to arrive. Ten minutes she'd been waiting at their agreed meeting place and there was still no sign of them.

At last, she saw them in the sky. And seconds later, they both landed in front of her.

"Where have you _been_?" she asked, desperately wanting to know. "I've been looking over town for you both!"

"Why?" asked a confused Goliath.

"Three Cyberbiotics installations reported massacres and robberies by some kind of _creatures_. And I saw you two and another gargoyle fly away from their main complex. What's this all about, Goliath?"

"The disks were stolen from Xanatos," he explained simply. "We returned them to him."

"She knows about the disks, Goliath," confessed Hi-Jax. "I told her."

"What? Why?"

"I became suspicious as to why Xanatos didn't show up when the Heartless attacked this morning. That and all the trouble he went through to awaken you and your clan, reunite you with your charming girlfriend, and then that 'out-of-nowhere' theft, his insistence of having us help, his unwillingness to listen to my stuff about Organization XIII…well, call me paranoid, but sometimes stuff as _vast _as that can be too much to be labelled coincidences."

"Sometimes being paranoid can be a great thing," said Eliza, reaching deep into her jacket pocket. "Especially when you're proven _right_."

She showed them a plastic evidence containing the tranquillizer dart Goliath had been shot with. His eyes narrowed angrily at it.

"Hi-Jax, do you remember the serial number on this dart?"

"Uh-huh."

She put the bag back in her coat pocket and then showed a list with a particular number circled in red pen. She handed it to Goliath for them both to look at.

"I _traced it_. The serial number belongs to a very effective sedative that's developed by…are you ready? _Xanatos Enterprises._"

Goliath's eyes froze. Hi-Jax seethed.

"Are you saying that Xanatos is responsible for the attack on the castle last sunrise?"

"That's _exactly _what I'm saying. He probably shot you with that tranquilizer himself!"

"But Ilxsa and the Heartless were the ones who stole the disks from him."

"Goliath, nothing was stolen, I _checked._ Those disks were _Cyberbiotics property_."

"Meaning he _staged _the whole thing to trick us into stealing the disks," nodded Hi-Jax, figuring out the rest for himself. "He was working with the Heartless and Organization XIII to get rid of Cyberbiotics and make off with their technology! He's been using us since the beginning!"

He shook his head in disbelief, yet couldn't hide his grudging respect.

"Xanatos, you clever, son of a…"

He then noticed how silent Goliath was.

It didn't take a genius to guess what he was thinking about.

"Listen, Goliath," began Eliza. "You haven't known us that long and we _know_ you don't have any real reason to trust humans."

Goliath looked away from them both, up towards the sky. Eliza placed her hand on the gargoyle's face and gently turned it to her.

"But you have _got _to trust _someone_ in this world," the police officer persisted. She then smiled, finishing, "And I think you'd be much better off with _us_ than _Xanatos_."

"I know what it's like to be alone, _too_, Goliath," sympathised Hi-Jax. "And there _have _been times when I thought I could manage doing what I do _by myself_. Maybe because I couldn't bear with losing anything ever again. But I've learnt time and time again, especially over the last few days…that _no-one _can survive alone. _No - one_."

Goliath thought about it long and hard. Then he turned his attention to the list Eliza had given him.

Then he growled angrily as he scrunched up the paper in his hand. Hi-Jax smiled in approval and Eliza giggled.

"You _won't _regret it," she assured Goliath, placing her hand on his shoulder. Turning to Hi-Jax, she furthered, "You won't either."

"I _know _I won't, detective," grinned the eighteen-year-old. "So, then…shall we all go and bring that smug Judas down?"

* * *

**_Author's note: Hello again! What do you think? Too long? Good action and story development? Interesting twists and turns? Or is it just waffle? Please let me know._**

**_See ya!_**

**_D.C. Wood (25/05/07)_**


	7. Chapter 7: Death Night Sky

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 7: Death Night Sky_**

"I'm afraid the gargoyles and Hi-Jax have outlived their usefulness," confessed Xanatos. "I can no longer count on their loyalty. They've both become too unpredictable and unreliable. But now, thanks to the Heartless and the data on those disks…"

In the darkness of his laboratory, Xanatos looked to seven large, mysterious shapes, all covered in sheets, standing below the only lighting in the lab. Burnett was standing beside them.

"Their _replacements _can be bought on-line," the billionaire finished.

"The last few days have indeed been most profitable for both our parties, mister Xanatos," agreed Ilxsa, stepping out of the shadows to join him. "For you, your competition has finally been eliminated. And for Sharak, more Heartless now boost his ranks. And the data and technology acquired will undoubtedly fuel both our long-term causes. At the expense of our enemies."

"Indeed," smiled the industrialist. "The new world order will be a most glorious one."

The hooded Ilxsa turned to Xanatos, who smiled, "All in Sharak's name, of course."

"Of course," the Darkest Exile nodded.

Burnett checked his watch.

"Three hours until dawn," he announced.

"Then we need only to wait until they sleep again…" began Ilxsa.

"_No._"

They all looked to see Goliath's love step out of the shadows, walking up to the covered figures.

"You need to test these replacements, do you not?" she asked Xanatos. She then stroked one of the covered figures' chests affectionately before smiling back at Xanatos.

Ilxsa and Burnett just stared at her.

Whereas Xanatos smiled back in full agreement.

* * *

Back outside, the gargoyles were enjoying a spot of well-earned peace and relaxation. Brooklyn was sitting on the battlements, wearing a pair of sunglasses and enjoying the Manhattan skyline. Lexington was enjoying getting to grips with his new laptop. And Broadway was sitting at a table full of takeaways, enjoying every bit of it. For the first time in days…or rather _centuries_, all three of them were completely happy. 

"Y'know…" sighed Brooklyn happily, "I think I'm gonna like this century."

"Yeah," Broadway munched in full agreement. "We had a little trouble adjusting at first…but I think everything's gonna be fine now."

He spoke too soon. He was just about to help himself to another tub of food when it literally exploded in his hand, making him jump in fright. The tub of food had been almost completely incinerated by a flash of red light.

What was left of the tub of food was now smoking in Broadway's hand.

A few levels below where the gargoyles were, the smoking laser cannon folded back into the robot's arm. The robot was one of seven, all stood behind Xanatos, Goliath's love, Burnett and Ilxsa. The robots were based on gargoyles, specifically modelled after Goliath.

They were all armoured in steel and truly nightmarish.

They were the Steel Clan.

"Attack," smiled Xanatos.

One-by-one, the robots magnificently unfolded their giant metal wings. Rocket engines mounted on their backs exploded to life, and the seven nightmarish metal gargoyles took off high into the sky. They flew fast past Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington, making them jump even more. Food scattered all over the place, Lexington dropped his laptop and Brooklyn lost his sunglasses.

They all looked up to see them all fly higher and then separate to pick their targets.

"What are those things?!" asked Broadway. They quickly saw one of the robots open its laser cannon as it swooped towards them.

"Think it's safe to say they're not out friends!" shouted Lexington as he moved for his life. The Steel Clan robot opened fire, destroying the table. Lexington and Brooklyn were able to getaway just in time, but the multiple blasts stopped Broadway from gliding to safety. He was pinned down on the ground. He fell over the battlements. The large gargoyle instinctively spread his wings to try and use the air currents to save himself but the tactic only resulted in him spiralling out of control downwards.

One of the robots fired at Broadway. The blast hit him in mid-air, injuring him. Trying to ignore the pain, Broadway grabbed hold of a nearby ledge and tried to pull himself up to safety. But the firepower had damaged parts of the castle. Some of the bricks fell with Broadway to ground level. He landed hard and some of the stone landed on top of him. He tried to fight unconsciousness but couldn't. He blacked out from the pain.

"What did I tell you, Owen?" smiled Xanatos in approval as he and his colleagues looked on. "A _vast _improvement."

Lexington looked behind him. A robot was right behind him. He nonetheless kept on gliding, strategically retreating so he could come up with a plan.

"They're steal instead of stone," continued Xanatos, "they don't sleep during the day, they fly instead of glide…"

The robot got a lock-on on Lexington.

"And _best_ of all…"

The robot scored a perfect shot on Lexington. The pain rendered him unconscious instantly, making him fall out of the sky.

"They're one hundred percent obedient."

Brooklyn swooped to Lexington, only just managing to catch him. Despite his small size, Lexington was heavy, and Brooklyn, by no means the strongest gargoyle, struggled not to let go of him. He flapped his wings with every ounce of energy he had, determined to get to ground level. But carrying Lexington was slowing him down.

And that made him vulnerable.

The robot that had shot Lexington was back again. It hovered in the sky, opening its laser cannon and getting ready to establish another lock-on. This time on Brooklyn.

A second was all it took to establish a lock-on.

The robot got ready to fire…

Goliath roared as he glided into the metal gargoyle, tackling it by the waist and using all his strength to smash it against the nearest tower of the castle. The impact severely damaged it, making it explode seconds later.

Goliath had managed to glide safely away from harm and was now underneath Brooklyn.

"Give him to me!" he commanded. Brooklyn obeyed, dropping Lexington into Goliath's arms. The clan's leader swooped effortlessly away with the unconscious Lexington. He landed where the still-unconscious Broadway was, moved some of the stone bricks aside and placed Lexington next to him. Knowing they'd both be safe for the moment, Goliath took off to rejoin the fight.

Another robot fired at Brooklyn but with a cool head and the ability to learn, he was able to confidently dodge the blasts now. The robot gargoyle continued to blast away regardless, unaware of what was behind it.

Hi-Jax grabbed the robot's head, digging his powerful fingers deep into the machine's skull and exerting crushing force. The anomaly then thrust his sword of light through the robot, withdrew it and then quickly kicked the robot's body faraway from him, where it exploded harmlessly. Still clutching the robot's head in his hand, Hi-Jax looked towards the party of villains observing the battle and threw it casually in their direction, smiling tauntingly. Even though it was a casual throw, Hi-Jax's power still made sure it landed right by Xanatos' feet with a 'clunk'.

Brooklyn glided by with a relieved smile, happy to see the teenage human.

"Is everyone okay?!" shouted Hi-Jax.

"Lexington and Broadway are down!" the gargoyle shouted back. "I don't know where Hudson and Bronx are!"

_Down but not necessarily out_, thought Hi-Jax. Still defying gravity, the anomaly avoided the blasts of another Steel Clan robot. Brooklyn could only glide down. He retreated to the side of the building, undetected. Soon as he had done that, he immediately dug his claws into the side of the building and began scaling back up to the castle. Knowing that Brooklyn would be alright, Hi-Jax restructured his sword of light into a razor-sharp throwing weapon and hurled it towards the robot that was attacking him. The weapon sliced the metal creature in two and then disappeared in a flash.

_Three down, four to go_, Hi-Jax counted. _Let's get on with it, then!_

Xanatos, Burnett and Goliath's mate turned to Ilxsa, who just snapped her fingers. The Heartless, more new ones, materialised around Hi-Jax and swarmed him, sending him crashing to the castle's courtyard. They then backed away enough for the anomaly to see what they were. Heartless Gargoyles that had grown into more 'adult' forms. They had also been upgraded cybernetically, with metal wings and a rocket pack, a robotic leg, a cannon arm, and half a robotic face.

These were Robo-Gargoyles.

They all fired at Hi-Jax, who only just managed to conjure up a Reflega spell in time. The blasts were successfully repelled back at the Robo-Gargoyles but the tough Heartless were able to withstand their own attacks and they soon fired again. This time, Hi-Jax felt their firepower and needless to say, it hurt a lot. They all closed in for the kill taking their turns to kick and claw-swipe the eighteen-year-old. He tried to mount a counter-offensive but the Heartless were using hit-and-run tactics. They then fired down on him from above, ensuring Hi-Jax was unable to fly due to being pinned down under fire.

"What's all the noise?" yelled Hudson as he and Bronx came outside from another part of the castle. They surveyed the devastation and immediately realised that they were under attack _yet_ _again_. Hudson and Bronx expected Heartless when they looked up to the sky.

They didn't expect a metal version of Goliath to be flying towards them from up high and shooting at them. Hudson and Bronx leapt for cover. As soon as the robot had past them, Bronx snarled angrily, now chasing after the robot. He leapt high into the air, and snagged the robot's tail with his teeth. Bronx's enormous weight dragged the metal gargoyle to ground level, where it landed hard on its front. It was soon up again, though, laser cannon out and blasting away at Bronx. The gargbeast, still hanging onto the robot's table, jumped from side-to-side to avoid the blasts.

Hudson looked on from the upper levels as he unsheathed his razor-sharp dagger. He leapt down to the robot below, short sword held up high and roaring furiously. The robot stopped firing at Bronx to turn round and look up to see the face of its destroyer. Everything went scrambled. Hudson's weapon carved right through and right down the middle of the metal gargoyle from skull to torso. The stone-faced Hudson ignored the electrical sparks of life that came from the deactivated robot as he ploughed his dagger down it. It fell on its back as the last few sparks of life fizzled and died.

"Never a dull moment, is there, boy?" asked Hudson as he patted Bronx's head. They then looked to see that Hi-Jax was in trouble from the Heartless and rushed off to help him.

Meanwhile, Goliath was now being chased by a robot. The gargoyles' leader was able to dodge the laser fire with no trouble and turned the tables by backflipping onto the flying robot's back. Xanatos, Goliath's love, Ilxsa and Burnett all continued to watch with interest.

Goliath, still riding the robot, looked to see another coming in his direction. Using his tremendous strength, the organic gargoyle steered his metal counterpart into the flight path of the other robot, putting it on a collision course. Timing the move just right, Goliath waited until the last second to escape, making sure that the automatons were on target with one another. The strategy succeeded spectacularly. The robots' collision created a huge explosion, making a shower of assorted body parts, mechanical components and armour plating rain down all over the castle. Xanatos, Burnett and Goliath's mate all instinctively attempted to shield themselves from the debris. Ilxsa just remained motionless, knowing that the debris wouldn't even touch her, let alone harm her.

The others soon regained their calm, observant composure to see Goliath high above, now perched on one of the castle's damaged towers.

"Hmm…" remarked Xanatos, as if he were only slightly disappointed. "My Steel Clan isn't performing as well as I'd hoped."

"There's only one robot left," expressed the female gargoyle, rather concerned.

"And I doubt it will take Hi-Jax that much longer to defeat the Heartless," pointed out Ilxsa, seeing that the anomaly, with Hudson and Bronx's help, had severely cut down the number of Robo-Gargoyles.

"I guess it's up to us, my dears."

Xanatos and Burnett turned to prepare their counter-attack, the Unknown and the female gargoyle followed.

* * *

Eliza rushed through the main entrance of Xanatos' building, flashing her badge to the security guard at the desk in the lobby, shouting, "Police Business!" The bewildered guard could only let her pass. 

Back up in the castle, Lexington and Broadway finally regained consciousness.

"Wh…what's going on?" groaned Lexington, placing his hand on his head, trying to make the cobwebs go away.

"I don't know…" groaned Broadway in return. His eyes suddenly widened when he looked up. "But it's not over yet!"

The last Steel Clan robot fired at them. Not wishing to be shot again, the two gargoyles quickly fled to rendezvous with the others. Back up on the damaged tower, Goliath looked on in concern, trying to devise a way to take down the last robot. He turned smiling to see Hi-Jax teleporting alongside him.

"Heartless are gone," Hi-Jax informed. They then looked to see that Brooklyn had finally made his way back up to the castle. They all looked up to see the last robot preparing to dive for one last attack. Hudson, Bronx, Lexington and Broadway had regrouped, unaware that the last robot was preparing another lock-on.

"Quickly!" shouted Goliath, gesturing Hi-Jax and Brooklyn to help him push the damaged section of wall off the tower. They succeeded and the robot, unaware of what was happening, felt the enormously heavy section of wall fall down directly on top of it just as it was passing the tower. The sheer weight of it stopped it from flying and crushed it to the ground, where it exploded safely away from everyone else.

"We won, dude!" cheered Brooklyn, raising his arm in victory.

"'Dude'?" asked Goliath, wondering where Brooklyn had picked up this new, modern human expression from.

Hi-Jax smiled as he looked to Brooklyn, simply saying, "Dude." He raised his hand for a high-five and Brooklyn obliged, smiling back at the human teenager.

"You haven't won _anything_, fools!" yelled the female gargoyle. Goliath, Brooklyn and Hi-Jax looked below to see that she was smiling evilly at them.

Wielding a bazooka that was aimed right for them.

The sight of her betrayal made Brooklyn and Goliath shocked, confused and angry. Hi-Jax just began to snigger, at last having a reason to give the female gargoyle what she had coming to her. He began to conjure up a fireball of light in his hand, getting ready to shoot it at her.

"I have so been waiting to do this, you stuck-up, vindictive…"

Hi-Jax screamed in pain as Ilxsa's sai dagger went right into his chest, making him fall off the tower.

"HI-JAX!" roared Goliath. He and Brooklyn tried to grab him, but they looked over the edge to see that he had fallen into a dark portal. He was gone. They angrily turned to face the hooded Ilxsa but she faded away, too.

And then the female gargoyle fired her bazooka at the tower. Goliath and Brooklyn's heads turned when they heard the shot and quickly jumped off the tower. The force of the explosion damaged the tower even more and sent Brooklyn crashing to the ground where the other gargoyles were. Goliath somehow managed to land on his feet, trying to shield himself from all the falling stones. His love snarled angrily at him as she lowered her bazooka.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded, beyond shocked.

She just smiled as she raised her bazooka back up, once more aimed at Goliath. Xanatos then appeared behind her, pointing his laser rifle at the rest of the shocked clan the level below. Lexington gave Brooklyn a Potion to help heal him. An angry Hudson drew his short sword, about to attack.

"HOLD IT," suggested Xanatos, tightening his hold on his weapon. He then smiled, casually suggesting, "Let's just let them play out their little drama, shall we?"

* * *

Hi-Jax landed in another area on the other side of the castle. He ripped the sai out of his chest and threw it to one side where it quickly disappeared. His powers allowed him to heal rapidly and he quickly shot up to his feet. 

"Goliath…NO!"

"No, indeed," remarked Ilxsa's voice, speaking from nowhere. "The trap was designed to eliminate the gargoyles and incapacitate you long enough to transport you back to our headquarters. Yet your dark powers decided you wanted to stay here, escaping from the corridors of darkness by using an emergency exit that wasn't supposed to exist. Yet you _made _it exist."

"Yeah, that's how I was _designed_," explained Hi-Jax, darkly. "To defy logic and rules always. Now show yourself."

The Darkest Exile obliged, fading into existence. She stood before Hi-Jax, staring at him. The eighteen-year-old knew that he couldn't look deep into the beings of Nobodies as well as he'd been able to in the past. And that coupled with the…'return' of Larxene had put Hi-Jax on edge.

"You were responsible for 'Larxene' turning up at Cyberbiotics earlier tonight, weren't you? You used the darkness to fool me again."

"Darkness is indeed my element, Adam. And I can do whatever the darkness allows. But I only fooled you _once_."

Hi-Jax stared at her long and hard.

"Last time we met, you said you'd drop the hood down 'some other time'. Well…now seems as a good a time as any to…renew our 'friendship'. So, how about it?"

"No. Not yet," she replied unemotionally.

Hi-Jax reached out with his telekinesis to try and pull Ilxsa's hood down. She conjured up a dark shield that blocked it. The anomaly looked at her, stone-faced.

"I'm gonna be honest with you…" confessed Hi-Jax, tired of these games, "this is just sad."

"On the contrary," replied Ilxsa simply. "This is just being logical. I have not been ordered to reveal my face to you yet. There is no real reason to know who I am at this moment in time other than _you _want to know. Just as there is no reason for me to be on this world any longer."

Hi-Jax raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to your agreement with Xanatos?"

"The agreement was that Xanatos would get what he wanted, the gargoyles would be eliminated _and you _would fall into our possession. Your defiance has meant that Xanatos has failed to keep his end of our agreement. And the fact that you will not come along now, willingly or otherwise, justifies this. As such, the deal is declared void and thus terminated. So as I said, there is no reason for me to be on this world any longer."

Hi-Jax stared at the Darkest Exile for several seconds.

"You _are _smart," he grudgingly complimented.

"I do not have the emotions to appreciate or return your compliment," she retorted. "I merely follow what logic dictates. Farewell, friend. We will doubtless find each other again."

Hi-Jax tried to stop her from teleporting away but her dark powers surprised him again by countering his. Ilxsa vanished from his sight, once again leaving him without answers and in deep suspense.

_Why does she insist on calling me 'friend'? Even though she lacks a heart and just follows orders and common sense? Whose Nobody is she exactly?

* * *

_

"Goliath, you're a fool," began the female gargoyle, still wielding the bazooka and pointed at him. "But then you always were, weren't you? If you'd only taken the rest of our clan away from the castle that night…the plan was perfect!"

"Plan?" said a confused and angry Goliath, who rose to his feet to face her.

"It would have succeeded!"

"_What _'plan'?"

"I made a bargain with the captain," she explained, referring to the massacre that had wiped out almost the entire gargoyle race a thousand years ago. "_I _was to get us all out of the castle so that the Vikings could _sack it_!"

"WHAT?!"

The revelation turned Goliath and his entire world upside down. The other clan members were beyond shocked, beyond appalled. Goliath snarled angrily at her, whereas Hudson and the others looked up to her, angrier than they had ever been, yet not believing what they were hearing.

"It would have worked!" continued the female gargoyle, yelling at Goliath, _belittling_ him for it all going wrong and not in the least bit sorry for what she had done.

"And after the humans were gone, _we _would've had the castle all to ourselves! But _you _ruined it! _You _had to protect the humans! _You _made us stay at the castle when we should've been with you!"

Calming down somewhat, she further revealed, "When the Vikings attacked, the captain said he'd protect us. But I didn't trust him. I've stayed alive all this time because I don't trust _anyone_."

"But _why?_" Goliath demanded to know, still finding it so difficult to fathom it all. "Why did you do it?!"

"You can ask me _that_?" she asked back angrily, unable to comprehend why Goliath still didn't understand. "After how they treated us? They had to pay! All humanity has to pay for what they did to our kind!"

"There is good and evil in _all_ of us. Human _and _gargoyle alike. _You _should know that more than anyone!"

Pointing to her, the stone-faced Goliath furthered, "Don't you see? _None_ of this would have happened if it weren't for _you_!"

"Don't say that!" his love cried out, lowering her bazooka. She tried not to be broken by her actions and instead kept telling herself that she was right. That her _cause_ was right.

"Goliath, this is your last chance! Humanity is a poison that must be purged from this world! Look at all the harm it's caused! It does nothing but destroy! It was _their _experimentation that resurrected the _Heartless_, for god's sake! But with Sharak's help, together you and I can now build a _new _world for our kind!"

She stopped shouting and walked slowly to her mate.

"You _trusted _me once," she persisted, now being somewhat gentle in her tone. "You _loved_ me once. We have found each other again after a _thousand years _of solitude."

It was all too much for Goliath. He could no longer hold it in. A painful tear finally escaped from his eye.

"Does that mean _nothing _to you?" she asked sadly.

Goliath's eyes just looked away from her.

"Very well, then," she declared, her sadness now gone forever, to be replaced by an evil venom. "If you are not my ally, then you are my enemy."

Her eyes went bright, blood red as she raised her bazooka and fired. Goliath managed to avoid the shell, but the force of the following explosion knocked the wind out of them. He was now on his back, with his former lover's foot pinning him down, and a bazooka aimed right at his face.

"I have a name, _too_, Goliath. The humans gave it to me, long ago. You should know it before you die. I am…_Demona_."

Goliath just sneered at her.

"Goodbye, Goliath."

Out of nowhere, Eliza charged into Demona, taking her down by the waist. The shock made her pull the trigger, firing another shell into another tower. The explosion destroyed the top part of the tower, making more stone fall down everywhere. Xanatos tried to move to safety but he was too late. A stone landed right on his back, the pain rendering him unconscious.

Eliza and Demona began to pick themselves up off the ground, only to look up in shock to see the top half of the tower collapse. The enormous weight smashed into the lower level, making a large part of it break off and fall away from the building.

With Eliza and Demona on it.

Goliath recovered to see Eliza screaming and falling to her doom. He sprang into action, gliding and safely catching her. He glided away, not caring about Demona. After all, she could glide.

But not this time.

The debris was everywhere. Large chunks of solid stone kept hitting her in the head and in the back, stopping her from gliding to safety. And she was rapidly approaching ground level.

Goliath and Eliza landed safely on the damaged edge of the castle. Goliath then turned round, wondering if Demona had managed to survive.

There was no sign of her.

She was gone.

Vanished.

The pain was all too much for Goliath to bear.

He unleashed a roar from the depths of hell. He put every ounce of rage and sorrow that he had into it.

And it could be heard throughout all of Manhattan.

Hi-Jax finally made his return. He stood stock still, soon finding out the truth about what had just happened.

Xanatos then regained consciousness.

"She wanted me to destroy humanity…"

Xanatos felt Goliath picking him up off the ground. And then he saw the gargoyle's savage face, his desire for revenge, the fury and pain of being deceived and betrayed…

And what had to be a thousand feet drop to the streets below.

"I THINK I'LL START WITH _YOU!!!_" roared the gargoyle.

Xanatos just smiled mockingly.

"Go ahead," he dared. "Without _me_, _you'd_ still be gathering moss."

Goliath just growled vengefully, his grip on the businessman starting to loosen.

"GOLIATH!!!"

Still hanging on to Xanatos, he turned to see Hi-Jax and Eliza standing only a few feet away from him.

"You are _above_ this," the anomaly slowly said. Then he shook his head saying, "_Don't_."

"You've slain many a monster in your time, Hi-Jax," Goliath argued darkly. "How is _this _one different?"

"I'd be lying if I said he didn't deserve to die. The dark half of me _screams _that he does. But the _light _half reminds me that he's _human_. He has a _heart_. Just like _you_."

"This _isn't_ about him," joined in Eliza. "It's about _you_. If you drop him, you're the same as Demona. You'll have lost your heart to darkness."

"They're _right_, lad," calmed Hudson, having made his way to the level. "Is that _really _what you want?"

Goliath looked to Xanatos, shaking his head.

"No," he seethed and then angrily threw the billionaire to the ground, where he landed hard at the others' feet.

Eliza and Hudson smiled proudly at Goliath. Hi-Jax nodded respectfully, giving him a thumb's up.

Goliath _didn't _smile.

* * *

An hour later, Xanatos was arrested and put in the back of a police car, charged with disturbing the peace, damaging the city and receiving and using stolen property. Without any other concrete evidence linking him to the Heartless and the destruction of Cyberbiotics, that was all he could be charged with. 

Nonetheless, it was a victory of sorts. Xanatos would most likely be convicted. But for exactly how long would be for the judges to decide.

Even though Xanatos' enterprise had ended in failure, a confident smile still remained on his face. He knew that he wouldn't be in prison for long. He would soon get out and he would still be the successful businessman he always had been. He would rebuild to make things better than before.

Back up in the castle, Goliath looked out to nowhere in particular.

Thinking about everything.

"You did the right thing, lad," assured Hudson.

Goliath remained silent, his back still turned on his friends.

"Demona's _heart_…?"

"No heart _ever_ dies, Goliath," Hi-Jax answered, understanding what he meant. "Not even one as _black _as hers. But whether it's still beating among us…or gone to where they all go in the end…even _I _don't know that."

"Do you _personally _reckon she _did _survive?"

"If she did…" sighed Hudson, "we'll know soon enough, I imagine."

Goliath looked to Hudson, knowing he was right. This was only the beginning for them.

"Well, then…" said Hi-Jax, "I reckon that's _it _then. I've got my _own _job to do. So, I'd better get on with it."

"Hi-Jax…" stopped Goliath. "Thank you. We owe you so much."

"No, you don't, Goliath."

"Yes," insisted the Wyvern Clan's leader. "We _do_. You're a stranger to this world, with clearly important battles of your own to fight. Your own answers to seek. Your own destiny to fulfil. And yet you found it in your heart to help us when you didn't have to. We would not have survived this without Eliza _or _you. You helped us to trust humans again, you made us all stronger and you gave us friendship when there was none elsewhere. You saved our lives. So thank you."

"I second that, lad," smiled Hudson, offering a hand of friendship. Hi-Jax smiled back and accepted it.

"In a way…you guys saved _my _life, too."

Eliza smiled and shook the anomaly's hand, then Hudson's. And then they both shook Goliath's hand.

"It's nice to know that we have human friends in this world," he smiled.

"We hope you have more. _Lots_ more," said Eliza sincerely. "And regardless of whether you do or don't…we'll always be your friends, Goliath."

The sky started to get lighter.

"Time to sleep," observed Hudson.

"Will we see you again, Hi-Jax?" hoped Goliath.

"Course you will," he nodded confidently.

"Same time tomorrow night?" asked Eliza to a smiling Goliath.

"I wouldn't miss it."

Goliath, Hudson and the others assumed their positions. Minutes later, the sunshine appeared and the gargoyles turned to sleeping stone. Both Eliza and Hi-Jax smiled at them and then looked to the great view of a beautiful morning.

Of a world now at peace.

Thanks to Hi-Jax and the Gargoyles.

Looking to Goliath, Eliza said, "I wonder if this city's ready for you guys."

Moments later, Hi-Jax and Eliza had left the gargoyles to their sleep and were now outside Xanatos' building, on the Manhattan streets.

"See you around, then," the detective smiled.

"See you around," the teenage nodded respectfully.

"Before you go, though…I just wanted to say…I'm sorry Ilxsa got away."

Hi-Jax shrugged, "I'm sure I'll find her. It's what always happens."

"Sure you would've preferred the answers to your own questions _now _instead of later."

"Mmm…" agreed the anomaly, thinking about it. Then the figurative light bulb flashed in his head.

"Maybe…maybe I won't _have _to wait later to get the answers I need.

"What do you mean?"

Hi-Jax thought about his idea one last time before thinking it out _loud_.

"Eliza, I need a favour."

* * *

Several hours later, Xanatos was in an interrogation room. He'd been informed that his lawyer was here to see him. He just smiled and waited with interest, knowing that he hadn't asked for his lawyer yet. He also knew that the circumstances meant that the impending conversation would not be recorded or listened in on. 

Xanatos could easily guess _who _wanted to see him and _why_.

Detective Maza entered the room, followed by Hi-Jax wearing a grey trench coat to cover his usual attire. He also had a hat on his head and a briefcase full of fake documents to help complete the effect.

Xanatos' smile still remained on his face as Eliza folded her arms and leaned against the wall. Hi-Jax sat down opposite Xanatos.

"Ah, Hi-Jax. How good to see you again…"

"Stuff the false pleasantries, Xanatos. You already know this isn't a social call."

"I never knew there _were_ such things," he remarked innocently. "But I _do _know how you were able to conjure up the means to get in here like this. Detective Maza may have helped arrange it…but I know your 'disguise', 'documentation' and 'identification' were both materialised by _you_. Ilxsa told me about your abilities."

Hi-Jax just stared at him.

"I've got a lot of questions. I know for a fact you've got the answers. And you're going to tell me."

"Such confidence," remarked Xanatos, approvingly. "But how can you be so sure I'll cooperate? Exactly why should I tell you anything?"

"That's easy," smirked the teenager. "You know for yourself that no-one's eavesdropping, that no-one's recording anything. Ergo, you have nothing to lose. Besides, Ilxsa took off, leaving you to fend for yourself, which wasn't really nice of her, let's be honest. So you don't owe her anything. And finally, we convinced Goliath to spare your life. As a businessman…doesn't that mean you have a _debt _to settle?"

Genuinely impressed with Hi-Jax's reasons, Xanatos chuckled, "How may I help you?"

"Ilxsa. She's a Nobody. She serves Organization XIII. Doubtless, they found out about what you were up to and you both made a deal. The elimination of the Wyvern Clan and Cyberbiotics, and the acquisition of their technology which you would both share. Your company would be number one, and in exchange, Organization XIII would get me. _Why did they want me?_"

"It's so easy to assume that she was serving Xemnas, isn't it? The black coat is their trademark. But believe it or not, she doesn't actually serve Organization XIII."

"_Who_, then?"

Xanatos paused for dramatic tension, still sporting that smug smile on his face.

"She was working for _Sharak._"

Hi-Jax's eyes went wide. Eliza could tell by his shocked expression that the answer was not what he expected. And that the name was one he knew more than any other.

"It's quite simple," explained the billionaire. "I had just finished relocating the castle to the top of my building when Ilxsa arrived. She told me about the Heartless, all the different worlds out there, the Keyblade…_everything_. I must say I found it all absolutely fascinating. Sharak wanted my help in his war against the Organization. Together, through Ilxsa and along with Demona, we conspired to mass-produce Steel Clan robots, create new Heartless, and use the data disks for other areas of research and development. The plan to manipulate Goliath, his clan, _later _you…that was all simply a means of preparing for the new world order. It was supposed to be only the _first_ of what I hoped would be many deals, thus establishing a successful business relationship."

"So why did Sharak want me, then?"

"He didn't at _first_," confessed Xanatos. "But only because he didn't expect your arrival to this world. When Ilxsa told him, the deal quickly changed."

"To _what_?" The anomaly started to become impatient.

"His resurrection was _flawed_ because of the time reversal. He's now _you_. An _anomaly_, half-light, half-dark. The only difference is that he can't achieve his goals in this state. Sharak wants your data so he can _cure _himself."

This revelation rocked Hi-Jax. The stakes of their inevitable encounter were more than just personal now. Sharak had other reasons to destroy him. Ones that were essential to his plans.

The teenager lowered his head, thinking about how his mission had now become much more complicated. Eliza, concerned for Hi-Jax, and bewildered by all these revelations, walked up to him to offer support. Xanatos still remained smug.

Respectfully dismissing Eliza's support, Hi-Jax looked back up at Xanatos, now with a dark look on his face.

"So if I _hadn't _decided to spite Sharak…if he had got what he wanted from me…what would be your reward for when Sharak vanquished all his enemies and returned to power? The clichéd thirty pieces of silver?"

Xanatos laughed.

"Oh, please. Nothing so _empty_. He offered me a piece of the _ultimate_ pie. _Kingdom Hearts_."

Adam just stared at him.

"Kingdom Hearts is _sealed_."

"So? What's sealed can be _un_sealed. You were there before, weren't you? When Sharak unsealed it right in his own castle?"

"That was _then_. That was when his power was unequalled and he had _allies_. He can't do anything _these days_."

"Not until he gets that _cure_."

"Too bad for him, then. Because he's not gonna get it. _Ever._" smirked Hi-Jax, standing up and turning to Eliza. "We're done."

"The most amazing, yet predictable thing I learned about Kingdom Hearts," confessed Xanatos, making Hi-Jax stop in his tracks, "was the level of competition for it. Several people wanting its power for their own purposes. Ultimate knowledge, power to rule all worlds…"

"What of it?" the teenager asked, looking back to Xanatos.

"I wanted what _everyone _wants. _Immortality_."

"Speak for _yourself_, Xanatos," Hi-Jax snorted, turning to leave. Again, Xanatos' words stopped him.

"One last thing…aren't you curious to know more about Demona?"

"_No_. I know that her story of survival to Goliath was a _lie_. It only fooled me for a little while because her sorcery messed up my telepathy a little. That won't happen again. _Her_ life story is Goliath's business, anyway. Not mine."

"Shame you don't want to know more about her," expressed Xanatos. "You'd enjoy hearing about how much we have in common. Or rather, how much I'd _like _to have in common with her."

A silence fell.

"What are you _talking _about?" asked Eliza.

"That's up to Hi-Jax to decide whether or not I should tell, Detective Maza."

Hi-Jax had an idea as to what Xanatos meant. He could've gotten more out of the prisoner if he wanted to. But he didn't. Hi-Jax got answers to _his_ questions. It wasn't right to pry into stuff the gargoyles should know themselves.

"Like I said…" he replied with his back turned on the industrialist, "we're done."

Xanatos just smiled as Hi-Jax and Eliza left the room, and a guard came in to take the billionaire back to his cell. The anomaly and the police officer were left talking with one another.

"Hi-Jax…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Eliza. I needed to hear everything he had to say. I've got a lot to think about now, a lot to _do_. And I'd best be getting on with it."

He turned to her once again.

"Thanks for sorting this out. I appreciate it."

"No problem, kid. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah," he nodded respectfully. "You, too."

* * *

Castle Oblivion, Sharak's throne room. 

"Xanatos is incarcerated," reported Ilxsa. "Demona is missing. Though obviously still alive, her kind believe her to be dead."

"They would," explained Sharak. "They knew nothing of her immortality. The _real _story of how she survived all those centuries…how she forged her alliance with Xanatos, convinced him to awaken the other gargoyles. She was such a talented deceiver."

"She let her heart be consumed by vengeance, though. Her intelligence and ambition is clouded by hatred, instability and blood-driven fury."

"Indeed. The fool squandered her hopes of having her wishes granted by me by letting her heart become obsessed with petty revenge. Her instability made her a loose cannon, a bomb just waiting to explode. _Not _the kind of partnership we need."

"Xanatos was the only one of them who had any sense," remarked Ilxsa. "It is unfortunate that he failed to keep his end of the agreement. And that he told Hi-Jax of it."

"It matters not," dismissed Sharak. "He had his own reasons for doing so. And Hi-Jax only knows that I am after him and you serve me. That is all. As for the cure, there will be _plenty_ of other opportunities to obtain it."

Sharak rose from his throne and walked to his second.

"No…our business arrangement with Xanatos has still been very profitable. He is still welcome to join us in the grand scheme of things. Thanks to him, newer, deadlier Heartless occupy our ranks…"

Sharak's eyes changed position to show his satisfaction when he looked at the disks in his fingers.

"And the data and technology we have acquired is nothing but gold…"

Turning back to Ilxsa, he asked, "Did you get the _other _'components' from Demona?"

The Darkest Exile produced a sack full of rubble, putting it down in front of Sharak.

"Her spells will also come in most useful," she declared, handing her master a handful of scrolls. The contaminated darkness was very pleased.

"Drakken!"

The grinning, mad scientist stepped forward.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to begin work on Project: Coldstone, immediately."

* * *

**_Author's note: What do you think, eh? Please let me know!_**

**_D.C. Wood (31/05/07)_**


	8. Chapter 8: Reflections

**_Author's note: It's been a long time, hasn't it? Again, I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've suffered from writer's block, been working on a fan film project, STILL job seeking, trying to get my novel sorted...to cut a long story short, it's ALL go these days. As I said a few months ago, I HAVEN'T given up on this story. I AM going to finish it. And they're plenty surprises on the way. As always, PLEASE provide me with feedback as I'd really appreciate it._**

**_Also, if the scene regarding Drakken, Ilxsa and Reflection seems kinda familiar to any KH2: Final Mix fans, YES, it is heavily inspired by the great scene involving Vexen, Zexion and Xigbar. I loved the idea of the Organization members discussing Xemnas' dark ambitions regarding Castle Oblivion, the Room of Sleep and his mysterious 'friend'. So I thought I'd do something similar focusing on Sharak, the Saviour and the Keyblade for THIS continuity. I hope you understand what I tried to do with that, and this whole chapter for that matter. Please enjoy!_**

* * *

****

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 8: Reflections _**

All was night

All was still.

For the moment.

A flock of Angel Star Heartless soared through the sky, targeting their prey. Showers of dark fireballs and Thundaga magic rained down to ground level.

The insane Sharak, once more ravaged by the light within him, managed to evade all the attacks and the explosions that followed. Ignoring the ungodly pain the light was causing him, trying desperately to hold onto whatever sanity he had left, the former source of all darkness, turned to face his attackers.

"BLIND FOOLS!" bellowed the creature to his children. "I AM YOUR FATHER! YOUR _TRUE _MASTER!"

Sharak's mouth opened wide and a gigantic beam of light fired out of it, annihilating several Angel Stars. Some of the Heartless tried to shield themselves with their wings, but the power of Sharak's light was too much for them to withstand. Many of the airborne Heartless were destroyed. Some of them had flown out of harm's way to resume their attack on their one-time creator, their one-time leader and father.

Sharak had been in deep denial for a long time.

About _so many_ things.

He was the superior of all.

He could never ever be dethroned. He could never ever by destroyed. His children could never ever be used against him. The Nobodies were no threat to him at all.

He, pure, unmatched darkness…couldn't possibly have any light inside him.

Now it was time to face the truth.

That he had been wrong about too many things.

And now he was paying for it. All his mistakes. All his denials.

Sora, a boy with a strong heart, almost unmatched…did what no one else had been able to do. And that was completely and utterly destroy the emperor, along with darkness itself. Resulting in an imbalance of reality that forced a massive time reversal, bringing Sharak back, only to condemn him to a fate far worse than death.

His defeat had left a huge bright light shining within, which would burst out at random times, causing him ungodly pain and insanity. All his hard work in establishing the Council of Darkness, to reclaim the power he had stowed away in Kingdom Hearts, everything he had accomplished in the two years after the defeat of Xehanort's Heartless had been deleted.

The Organization members he had killed had all returned to life. And even though they had only returned to lose almost half of their members to the Castle Oblivion affair, their situation had still remained far better than Sharak's. They still had a stronghold, an army of powerful Nobodies and countless Heartless allies that they could manipulate.

And Xemnas' leadership continued to rally the support of all those loyal to him and their cause. The Superior's authority had made the other members realise that the demise of the traitors Larxene and Marluxia was a favour supplied by Sora. The loss of Lexaeus' formidable strength and power had been unfortunate, but not critical. The same could be said regarding Zexion's intellect and manipulative talents. And as for Vexen…his job was finished and so was he. From Axel's point of view, anyway.

As for Sharak…he had nothing. Absolutely nothing. But a body full of pain, imperfection and everything he loathed.

_This is NOT what I am supposed to be!_ the monster thought as he leapt up high, grabbed hold of one of the Angel Stars with both hands and literally pulled it apart. Shards of glass and feathers now clouded around the fallen emperor. Then he fell back to the ground, the scattered remains of the Heartless dissipating.

Then a legion of Soldiers materialised to rush Sharak, who just tore them apart. The more he destroyed, the more arrived to take their place.

_LOOK at me…on the run. The once proud, almighty ruler of life itself….reduced to fighting for my own existence like a starving, wounded bloodhound! Why are these Nobodies so many and in control when everything I have amassed has crumbled and I am all that is truly left? Is it ME? At one time, I would have dismissed that as an extremely rare case of self-delusion. Even when my first…'demise' came at the hands of the Keyblade and the first Saviour, I was so convinced that it was an anomaly that was in heavy denial of me being the supreme victor._

_When Sora destroyed me…I still refused to believe that my downfall could happen. It was proven that by killing me, the entire universe would die. When I returned, I felt everyone else would at last accept the truth. I am here because destiny and fate decreed it. Reality and everything in it is all simply mine._

_Anyone who says otherwise is just being childishly stubborn._

_So why is it NOW…when I have lost everything…reduced to being obsessed with survival, vengeance and reclamation…that I finally start to feel something that I have never ever felt before?_

_DOUBT. TRUE doubt._

_Doubt of being able to succeed…to get back on my throne in life's centre, with everything revolving around me. The previous returns…I was able to rebuild and orchestrate with ease. Having to start all over again was nothing new. And sooner than everyone thought…I was a force to be reckoned with again. The circumstances were hard, amongst the hardest tests I ever had to face._

_But nothing like these._

_NOTHING like these._

_Against foes I had underestimated. With resourcefulness unlike any I had ever encountered. The odds were stacked against me in a way new and alien to me. At first, I dismissed it. Proudly boasting my superiority and that I would rule again. After all, it had happened before. So why not now?_

_As I fight the artificial versions of my spawn, produced by Xehanort…doubt begins to develop within me for the very first time. Along with something more. Something worse._

_FEAR._

_In the times of my destruction, even though I was aware of threats and the possibility of defeat…I can honestly say that I was never ever afraid. And now…the human cliché of "three strikes, you're out!" seems to apply. I can't afford to die again. This war involving me, Sora, Xemnas, Hi-Jax and DiZ…when it ends, it will be THE end. And the thought of total, final defeat for me…I can no longer consider absurd._

_And that, coupled with everything that has happened…genuinely scares me._

_And that leads me to hate myself for such weakness._

_And that in turn leads to violence…_

_Rage…_

_And total insanity._

Sharak extended his clawed arms and impaled the rows of Soldiers that came at him. As soon as he retracted them, the Soldiers froze where they stood, all with massive holes in their chests. And then they exploded into clouds of dark mist.

Sharak, tired and weak, panted hard. Desperately trying, but failing to make the painful light subside. Then a giant metal fist caught him unawares, striking him hard in the back, sending him flying and skidding across the ground.

Sharak's body shivered as he painfully rose to his feet. To see a giant Guard Armour Heartless towering before him, with a group of Soldiers and Armoured Knights following it.

"Damn…you…all," snarled the monster.

"Tsk, tsk…" sighed a nearby voice that Sharak knew only too well. "Is that really any way to speak to your kids?"

Axel's flaming chakram span right through the fallen emperor. Then they circled around him, striking him again and again. They then returned to their smiling master, who felt like taking pleasure in seeing Sharak reduced to this state. He deserved it after what he did to Roxas.

Sharak's howls echoed throughout the night sky. The peacefulness of this world, the seemingly endless road through beautiful green fields and trees…had been shattered. This road led to Castle Oblivion, and had been where Sharak had exiled Sora, Donald and Goofy until he was ready to deal with them.

Sharak ran away, before tripping over and rolling down a bank, the flames subsiding for a moment but soon flaring up again as he stood up. Axel just laughed.

"Fire! Fire!" panicked Demyx, as he proceeded to shoot a huge, powerful stream of water from his sitar. The water instantly doused Sharak's flaming hide…

And also knocked him senseless across the field, battering him even more. Despite the fact that Axel's fire had long been extinguished, the smirk on Demyx's face implied the pleasure he was taking in punishing Sharak. Even though he said, "Gotta make _extra _sure that fire's out!"

Eventually, the Melodious Nocturne ceased. Sharak, soaking wet and hurting even more, and on his hands and knees, looked in contempt at the two Organization members, brandishing their weapons, ready to attack again. The Heartless were right behind them.

"Well, well, well, Axel," remarked Demyx, grinning. "What _do _we have here?"

"You got me, Demyx," shrugged the Flurry of Dancing Flames, also smirking. "But at a guess…I'd say it looks like something even the cat refused to drag in."

The taunt infuriated Sharak. No one disrespected him like that. But he was once again forced to suppress his anger. The laughing Nobodies summoned their respective walls of fire and water. Sharak was now trapped between them.

And then the Soldiers, Armoured Knights and Guard Armour appeared to cut off any possible escape. Sharak's fury consumed him again as dozens of flailing tendrils shot out of his body, crackling with electricity. They all connected with the smaller Heartless, eradicating the legion.

The Guard Armour marched towards the fallen emperor, clanking loudly, causing the ground to shake. It then stopped and rotated its gauntlets round its body. Sharak just roared, smacked both the giant limbs far aside and slashed the giant Heartless across its chest. The giant Heartless then staggered backwards as Sharak literally crawled inside the massive gash he had opened. Huge dents then appeared all over its armour, Sharak hammering away.

Seconds later, the demon escaped. Pieces of the shattered armour flying everywhere, before disappearing along with the head. A giant breath of flame then fired out of Sharak's mouth, incinerating the gauntlets and boots.

Sharak's light then seemed to start fading, somewhat. With the Heartless destroyed, the creature was surprised. Forced to destroy his own kin by the insolent Nobodies yet again, would usually have driven Sharak deeper into the abyss of madness. But instead…Sharak just felt tired. Tired of fighting, tired of hatred, power and seemingly never-ending conflict.

_Why fight when we could just understand one another?_

Sharak's eyes widened. Why did he just think that? The idea of negotiation…'understanding to achieve betterment'…was _repulsive_ and opposite to everything Sharak was all about. He had never, ever thought anything like that before in his existence. Doubtless this was because of the light inside him…

But the part that Sharak knew was darkness…the part that had been the source of all darkness since time began…now _genuinely _wondered…

_What if the light is RIGHT?_

Sharak then snapped back to reality, cursing himself for being a weak-minded fool, prone to petty distraction. He'd uncharacteristically allowed himself to forget Axel and Demyx's powers. The walls of fire and water that had him trapped had been advancing slowly towards him. And now it was too late to get out of harm's way.

The elements of fire and water collided and reacted with one another cataclysmically. And Sharak was caught right in the middle. His body flew high into the air yet again. And predictably landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

Sharak had little to nothing left. He'd never been this helpless before. His mind screamed for him to get up. Bizarrely, the light within him was also rooting him on. Sharak's shattered grasp on reality began to reassemble in a state of confusion. _Light_, the very thing Sharak loathed and had tried so hard to wipe out…had _forgiven _him and was now supporting him!

His pride rejected the offer of help and forgiveness. And because of that…his body refused to obey his commands.

A tear of light then fell from Sharak's eye. It was a small tear…but nonetheless a tear of pain, sorrow and confusion.

Sharak didn't feel like hating himself anymore. He didn't feel tired or confused anymore.

He just felt lost. So lost that he didn't know who he was anymore.

An intense roar snapped him back to his senses. The berserk Saïx, possessed by the shining moon's power, charged towards him, swinging his claymore mightily at Sharak, battering him even more.

"BE GONE, FOUL CREATURE!!!" screamed Saïx as his last blow propelled the fallen emperor high into the sky…

Where Xigbar awaited.

"Gotcha now!"

The smirking Freeshooter, teleported to several positions around the contaminated darkness, firing relentless salvos at him. Sometimes walking upside down in the sky, sometimes lying down on his side, but always using his element of space to fire shard after shard at Sharak from such uncanny attack positions.

"Your turn, Xaldin!" cheered on Xigbar as soon as he'd stopped shooting and taken his place back on the ground. The Whirlwind Lancer's wind powers trapped Sharak in a giant vortex. Where his lances awaited, each taking their turns to viciously stab the monster in and out.

Then, his lances regrouped, rotating together in a type of fan formation, striking the fallen emperor again and again, relentlessly.

Until, _eventually_…

"I'd say that's _enough_."

Obeying his orders, Xaldin retrieved his lances and ceased the whirlwind. The near-dead Sharak fell from the death night sky and naturally landed hard.

Where Luxord's cards dashed by, cutting through him.

Luxord turned to his leader, smiling, "My apologies. But you _did_ say we would all get a piece so long as we made _reservations_."

The Organization members all laughed.

"_Such _an anachronism," remarked the Gambler of Fate. "Out of time, out of chips…the cards are clearly against him and he refuses to accept it."

"Out of tune," added the Melodious Nocturne. "_Maybe _a classy performer one time…but now, past it, _clearly_."

"Overrated piece of garbage," nodded the Flurry of Dancing Flames, agreeing.

"Obsessed with mindless conquering," snorted the Luna Diviner, "ignoring potential and creativity, focused only on amassing power. It is no wonder your children are just as one-dimensional as you are."

"Easily predictable," remarked the Whirlwind Lancer. "It's exactly like playing chess with a chimp."

"That's what makes it so much fun!" grinned the Freeshooter. "Toying around with pets for great entertainment value. Before putting the old dog out of its misery!"

The Organization laughed again. Sharak had heard it all. All the taunts, the disrespect, the mocking laughter…and he felt nothing at first. He was still lost in his shattered self.

But when two Dusks materialised beside him, grabbed his arms, wrapped themselves round his head and neck and forced him to look up to see Xemnas' face…

That was when his desire and ambition…started to piece themselves back together.

Out of hatred and a overwhelming desire to see the Superior and his followers gone.

"Acknowledge my superiority," ordered the smiling Xemnas.

The fallen emperor stared for a few moments at his nemesis, saying nothing. The Organization's leader, still smiling, clenched his fist, channelling his energy into it, doubtless threatening to execute him.

This was all Sharak needed.

"Very…well…then," the near-dead creature conceded. "You…are…all…superior to me…when it comes…to…_DYING._"

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. The others just stared.

"A mere…_teacher's pet_," furthered Sharak, starting to gain strength, starting to grin, "_masquerading_ as a superior, _pretending _to be a leader, oblivious to the fact, that you are all destined to be Keyblade fodder, nothing more."

Sharak then started to laugh.

"Good at producing traitors and dead servants, always living in the shadow of a senile old fool!"

The Dusks released the creature and moved aside. Xemnas fired his blast of energy, turning Sharak's laughs into screams. Half of his face and torso had been destroyed.

"Your insults are beneath us, Sharak. Just like you. We are the future of the world. It is time to move on. And that means you're going to be left behind in oblivion. Just - where - you -belong."

A red light-sabre shot out of the Superior's hand as he charged towards the creature to finish the job once and for all. The beam of energy sliced Sharak up a dozen times. His mad screams echoed throughout the night. When they ended, a flash of light subsided to reveal that Sharak was gone.

Xemnas then turned to his followers.

"Is he…?" began Saïx.

"No. He _barely _managed to escape. _Excellent_."

"Aww, but I wanted to see him _die_!" whined Demyx.

"Be patient," advised Xemnas. "His time will come soon enough. After everything we've done to him, he refuses to let go of his overwhelming hatred for us, refuses to die. Now we have added more fuel to the fire. His hatred will now develop into the infernos of war. He will learn to change, regain control of the Heartless, rebuild his empire…and give us our future as a result. And when Hi-Jax completes his mission, Sharak's legacy will ensure our infinite survival."

Axel then chuckled darkly. The others turned to him, wondering what the joke was.

"'It's exactly like playing chess with a chimp!'" he explained, quoting Xaldin's taunt. "Good one, Xaldin. It's funny 'cos it's _so _true."

All the Organization members laughed.

And then teleported away.

* * *

The realm of darkness.

Where stolen hearts were once gathered, retreating to where they were once born.

The realm of destiny, the heart of all life, the greatest light shining in the darkest depths.

Kingdom Hearts.

Sharak fell deeper and deeper into the abyss of his own creation. The more he fell, the more he felt both at war and at peace with himself. The darkness was so beautiful, so peaceful, so nurturing and strong.

Yet the light grew brighter and more intense as he retreated deeper into darkness.

He started to fade out of existence.

To oblivion.

"Kingdom Hearts…" wheezed Sharak, reaching out for it. "Where…are you…now?"

"_I'm rather surprised you've forgotten."_

The voice instantly surprised Sharak. He stopped falling and began looking around to try and find where it had come from.

"_It was sealed by the two Keybearers. After it destroyed you and Ansem when you both tried to claim it. And now it seems that YOU are now the light shining in the darkest depths. Very ironic, isn't it? Especially after all you did to try and erase it. And at the end of the day, you really have no one else to blame but YOURSELF."_

The voice laughed in amusement. Sharak's eyes narrowed as he struggled to remember. He knew this voice. He hadn't met the owner personally before, but he remembered the hearts of all those linked to him when he truly was the source of all darkness. When he had bestowed his darkness into Kingdom Hearts.

"I…I have heard of you…" the monster confessed, noting that the voice was female.

"_Magica De Spell,"_ she proudly introduced. _"Enchantress of the darkest…"_

"WHERE ARE YOU, WITCH??!!" bellowed the monster, ignoring the painful light as it flared up again. "SHOW YOURSELF!!!"

Silence followed. Then another amused laugh.

"_Is that an order? I don't think you're in any kind of condition to give me orders. Or anyone at all."_

"Why do you torment me?"

"_You torment YOURSELF_._ The mighty Sharak…unmatched and the biggest cheese of them all…now reduced to THIS. All because you lack the ability to see your own faults. And you know it. Yet you stubbornly refuse to accept it."_

Sharak just stared out into nowhere.

"Reveal yourself to me."

An astral projection of Magica appeared before the creature. The witch smiled, again amused.

"_Ah, now you're ASKING. Interesting development. Maybe there's hope for you and the rest of the world, yet."_

Choosing to ignore the remark, Sharak said, "State your business."

"_I admire you. Such realistic views of true strength, power and survival. What the world is and how everyone should accept that. You are everything I crave and worship personified. The rightful king of all kings. But I will confess…I was very hurt when you ignored me when you were recruiting members for your Council of Darkness."_

"You know much, Miss De Spell."

"_I know ENOUGH. And that alone should suffice. But regardless of how upset I was that you didn't deem me…'good enough' , I wish to help you. To be your ally in your return to power."_

"I…am through with alliances."

"_Your pride will be the death of you, Sharak. And I know that you know I'm right. You've been thinking exactly what I'm saying to you. And the only way you'll return to where you belong is if you admit to me as well as yourself that you've made mistakes."_

Sharak paused to think it all over.

"_It's time to stop running…emperor."_

"So what will be in it for you?" he asked. "That shiny little trinket that constantly twinkles in your eye?"

"_Such insolence," _yawned Magica, starting to tire of the creature's arrogance. _"If you're going to be the superior of all again, you're going to have to understand, recognise, respect and ACCEPT. Or you can just die. And we both know that's the LAST thing you want, isn't it?"_

Sharak stared long and hard at the astral form of the enchantress.

"_I take it that means you're willing to go to school, then," _she smiled. _"I should tell that I am quite a strict teacher. And I don't care if you're the boss of me now. There are some things you're just going to have to take. So…shall we talk about what you FEAR?"_

Sharak knew that he desperately needed Magica's help. If he was going to become strong enough to find Hi-Jax, and defeat Xemnas and Sora…he would have to find the courage to do things that even he never could have done before.

And the biggest challenge was _acceptance_. Accepting that light had structurally integral place to the world, as did nothing. Sharak also had to accept that he now had to adapt to new ways of survival, change his tactics in order to achieve success…

And to accept the hardest thing of all.

That he was now weak, full of doubt…and truly afraid.

And that was the bitterest of pills for him to swallow.

"I FEAR NOTHING AND NOBODY!!!" he screamed in denial. Magica laughed and laughed in hysteria.

Settling down, she nodded, _"I KNOW you do!"_

"Arrogant fortune teller! This is why I didn't choose you to begin with! All you know how to do is talk! You can't help me! No one is worthy of helping me! Of being worthy of sharing…!"

The light inside the creature grew in power by tenfold. Sharak screamed as loudly and as painfully as he could in total horror. He was now very transparent. Not much longer left to exist.

"What…what are you doing?!"

"_I already told you," _sighed the disappointed witch. _"You're doing this to yourself. Because you can't accept that the light is right. That it has a place, to counter-balance the dark. To ensure the world's survival, and the survival of all hearts. That KNOWLEDGE is what you should be using to achieve control, not slaughter. I tried reasoning with you…but I was clearly wrong," _she added sarcastically. _"Just like everyone else."_

She turned her back on the dying creature, waving half-heartedly.

"_Have a nice time in oblivion."_

"NOOOOO!!!" shrieked Sharak, absolutely panicked and admitting his faults. "YOU WERE RIGHT!!! I AM FLAWED!!! I'VE MADE MISTAKES!!! I FEAR THAT WHICH CAN DESTROY ME!!! HELP ME RISE ABOVE MY WEAKNESSES!!! I ACCEPT!!! I ACCEPT!!!"

Sharak's screams then ceased.

His light started to flicker.

There was no more pain.

Nothing to feel frightened about.

And after aeons of countless fighting…the light and the darkness, now unholy united…finally began to embrace and understand one another.

Magica turned round to face the frozen Sharak. The holes in his body had now mended, his mouth had disappeared…and his demonic form became more refined and better sculptured, which was more befitting of a leader.

"Excellent," she smiled. "You're ready to begin. _Again_."

* * *

Six months later.

Castle Oblivion.

Formerly, the secondary quarters of Organization XIII, constructed to conduct experiments on how memory and the heart work. Xigbar also hypothesised that it was constructed as Xemnas' scheme to seek the 'Room of Awakening' to find his 'friend'. It is most famous for staging the campaign headed by Vexen to reverse time and repair the damage done to the world by Sharak. Organization members also warred with one another here, as a result of the treacherous ambitions of certain members. Five died because of the civil war and the desire to control Sora and Riku.

Currently, it is the new home of Emperor Sharak, usurped months ago from Organization control. It is a castle fitting for its new master and the perfect place to rebuild his Heartless army, recruit new warriors and plan for his takeover.

One of his new warriors, Ilxsa, the Darkest Exile, a powerful Unknown Nobody, was walking through the halls of Castle Oblivion.

"ILXSA! ILXSA!"

The female Nobody halted and looked to see a frantic Doctor Drakken running towards her.

"What's the problem?" she asked unemotionally.

"Project: Coldstone is out of control!" he shrieked. "There are ghosts everywhere! I can't STAND ghosts! I keep telling you that _science _is my field! I need help! Where's Sharak?! Where's Magica?! I need…!"

"Sharak is _reflecting_," the teenage Unknown replied. Drakken's panic instantly washed away with that news and was replaced with a mixture of frustration and fear.

"Absolutely _typical_!" he seethed. "Total mismanagement! Being expected to deal with everything! This isn't what I signed up for! I…!"

"Can the problem be _contained_?" Ilxsa asked, deciding that getting to the point was the best solution.

"Not by my…!"

"Then the alternative is for you to disturb Sharak's meditation," she suggested.

Drakken's face shifted into an expression of horror, then quickly into dislike for the Nobody. He loathed her cold, logical thinking, and he loathed the fact that she was a new recruit, whose talents and ability to learn quickly had made her Sharak's second-in-command, making Drakken, the emperor's chief scientist, extremely jealous and outranked.

Ilxsa didn't care about what he thought of her. She didn't have the ability to care about anything. So Drakken's jealously meant nothing to her. But she knew that if she had a heart, she would take pride in seeing the little toad squirm and know that he had no alternative but to answer to her.

And know that to disturb Sharak's reflections would invite instant death, regardless of the intruder's importance.

Drakken fumed and stomped off, muttering, "Fine, I'll just try and deal with it! Because the only people who know how to sort it out are lazing around flicking through their memories! So it's up to me to…!"

The hooded Ilxsa looked back at the (still muttering) mad scientist until he was out of sight. Then she resumed walking.

"What a rabble we have in this empire to be," sighed Reflection as he teleported into the hall. "Thank heavens _all _the occupants of this castle aren't sordid little twerps like him. Otherwise, we're clearly done for."

"Why are you here?" asked Ilxsa. "Your task was to go to Ruination City, infiltrate the criminal community, and recruit followers. You are defying Sharak's orders. It is a fatal mistake for you to think you are above what he demands of his troops."

"I have made my contribution, my dear Ilxsa. I have earned my keep by recruiting the peasants of Traverse Town and convincing them to surrender their hearts to the darkness. Our superior was undeniably impressed. Besides, that animalistic Karall is more suited to exploring that forever cesspool known as Ruination City. He'll be able to gather all the dregs and runaways. His spreading vampirism doubles its value as creating a cult for him to lead, or new forms of Heartless. This is all tactical thinking on _my _part, by the way, which is why Sharak granted my request for a little break. So I can be entitled to explore and appreciate this fabulous castle, and thus learn all the necessary information required to win this war."

"If Sharak has approved, then do what you must. We need all our resources at peak capacity for the ensuing conflict. And that includes me providing Sharak with his required update on events outside the castle. He will likely have finished his meditation by now."

"There is _one little _thing I've been meaning to discuss with you, though, Ilxsa," Reflection confessed, stopping her from leaving.

"Is it _urgent_?"

"Oh, _please_. Do we have to talk about _work _all the time? It can be so boring and rather _working class_. Let us indulge in something much more fascinating. Yet, at the same time, completely _relevant_ to our situation."

Ilxsa viewed this as a _trivial _discussion. As such, it was only going to _delay _her obligation to report to Sharak. She tried to leave again but Reflection had already started speaking.

"These 'reflections' Sharak is going through," the shape-shifter began, assuming Sharak's form and walking around in wonderment, "doubtless he's doing so to make peace with himself over his past defeats, to accept the light within him to achieve purity and to transcend…he _needs_ to if he's going to stand a chance of defeating Xemnas."

Assuming a new form, 'Xemnas' turned round to face Ilxsa.

"But there's something _else_ in the air, isn't there? Not just the Nobody pestilence…no offence to _you_, obviously, but two other things that Sharak fears deep down inside. Both of them more closely bonded than first expected to be believed."

'Xemnas' then assumed the form of 'Jaron', as he had been whilst enslaved by Sharak.

"The _Saviour_…"

Reflection then shape-shifted into the dark form of 'Riku', wielding the Oblivion Keyblade, holding it in front of him.

"And the _Keyblade_."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" asked Ilxsa, coldly.

'Riku' expressed sadness and disappointment by asking, "Getting impatient, are we?"

"It is impossible for me to feel impatience, Reflection. I just want this conversation to conclude so I can report to Sharak."

"I'm sure he can wait a little bit longer. He knows how to wait. After all, he _has _been waiting aeons to wreak vengeance on those who destroyed him the _very first time_."

Reflection assumed his normal guise and then carried on.

"The current Keybearer…Sora…it has been over a year now since he has held the Keyblade. It really is such a marvellous weapon, truly one of a kind. Or so I first thought. Then, there was Sora's best friend/arch-rival, Riku…wielding a Keyblade of his own, forged from the hearts of seven princesses, designed to complete Hollow Bastion's keyhole…and then Mickey Mouse, king of Disney Castle, arrived at the last minute with a Keyblade of his own to seal Kingdom Hearts."

Reflection paused for a moment.

"The more the Keyblade appears…the more fascinating it _becomes_. Originally starting out as just one, then becoming _more than _one. Then, Sora's Nobody, Roxas, the Organization's No. 13, comes along doing something incredible by being able to wield _two _Keyblades at the _same time_! And at first…I believed that it all came from _Sora_. Over a year ago…when he first received the Keyblade. After all, no one in _this _generation had ever _seen _anything like it before. Yes, there were the legends, the king's tales and Ansem's reports, unsubstantiated _myths_…but _beyond _that…_seemingly _nothing."

Reflection next shape-shifted into a dark version of the armoured knight Keybearer he had once been imprisoned with.

"And _now_…everyone's talking about _these _people. Obviously heroes…with a desire to see all traces of Xehanort and Sharak's legacies erased forever. According to the Organization's research, it was ten years ago that thousands and thousands of Keyblades appeared from seemingly nowhere. With armoured heroes battling great villains…justifying the legends that the Keybearer brought both peace _and _ruin to the world. _Today's _Keybearers came from _them_. So where do _they _come from, I wonder? Organization XIII are bound to know, but I couldn't find anything _before _the Keyblade war in the castle's library. Doubtless, they want to keep their precious secrets as close to them as possible. So _then _I thought…"

The 'Enigmatic Soldier' pointed to himself, suggesting, "Maybe _he _and all his friends…came from _your _friends," then pointing at Ilxsa.

"The Council of Light," she realised. "Or being more specific…the Saviour."

"Most people thought that Jaron, son of Mahanah, was the first and only one. Yet as his one-time friend, foster child of the world's tragically departed _ex_-guardians…_you _know that the Saviour is a _mantle_, one that's been passed down from young warrior to young warrior, charged with the task of fighting evil and bringing peace to everywhere he goes. To counter-balance the _opposite_. The _Destroyer_. Sounds a lot like the Keybearers we know today. So the original template for the heroes and villains…Saviours and Destroyers _is _there. Logically, the first template for the Keyblade must have been forged from either the Council of Light…or maybe, Sharak _himself_."

"Possible," admitted Ilxsa. "He would need something to open and close Kingdom Hearts anytime he wanted. And a powerful weapon to destroy the Council…and it is documented for own creations to backfire…but it is only a _theory_. The Keyblade may not have necessarily been _Sharak's _creation."

"Nevertheless…we only know the _Sunday school version _of the war against Sharak's rule of the entire universe. It really could've been so delightful if Hi-Jax's conversation with the gargoyles had been _allowed _to continue. That peasant Demona really took the fun away with her cursed interruption. Because it is all so jolly exciting."

Ilxsa then stared at Reflection as he once again resumed his normal form.

"I did not know you were such a historian."

"Fascination is both a _hobby _and a _living _of the intellectual, my dear," the aristocratic dark-being explained. "Munny is indeed a beautiful asset of the rich, but, _aside _from power…the _real _wealth lies in history and knowledge. And as I said, it is all so jolly exciting. Don't tell me _you _aren't tempted to discover more?"

"There are only _two _things that I desire," the Darkest Exile admitted, rather coldly and logically. "The return of my memories and to have a heart. And the only way I can achieve those is to follow Sharak. If you want to know so much more about history, I strongly advise you to stop wasting time and adhere to his orders. That way he'll reward you, _because _you'll have got on his _good _side. Now we must continue with our work. We'll need more warriors, alliances and resources to assist in _Hi-Jax's _capture."

"Not counting the mess Drakken's making of things, Project: Coldstone _is _nearing completion."

"It's _still _not enough. We need more. New complications are arising with each passing day. We will clearly have to keep up with everyone before we can attempt to take the lead as it were. _When _you've finished doing what you _have _to, meet with Shego and depart for Middleton to carry out the next phase of our plan."

Ilxsa then finally made her leave. Reflection sighed sadly, disappointed that this Nobody, young, strong, beautiful and intelligent, didn't have a personality to complete the package. The only chance he had of engaging someone of appreciation _and _intelligence (other than Sharak) in conversation was now beyond his grasp.

"Oh, well, I _tried_," he shrugged, turning away to obey his orders.

* * *

In the reflection chamber, light swirled around Sharak in an unholy way. Visions of his nightmares, fears, destructions, bad experiences, all his weaknesses…everything negative in his being was painted out before him in awful, almost-blinding light.

And instead of cowering before it all, instead of feeling pain and rejecting that which he had once tried so hard to destroy…he willingly embraced it all. His fears, his pain, his weaknesses…_everything_.

Two months after painful, arduous sessions of confrontation and self-discovery, Sharak had conquered his demons. He had returned, stronger than ever. Thanks to Magica's efforts, he had been able to rebuild. The Heartless were once more his to command. And in time, all Heartless would recognise him as their father, and unquestioned ruler of the dark.

The reflection session now over, Sharak drew all the light back into himself. Acknowledging the fact that no matter how deep the darkness, a light always shines within. And that light was now a part of him.

He had long accepted that now. And there was no more pain. Just total understanding and peace. And the ability to control what he understood because of it. The light within him.

"Excellent," smiled Magica. "Once again, you've proved that your demons no longer have power over you."

"And in time," agreed Sharak, "I will be strong enough to _exorcise _them _completely_."

"Bear in mind, though," the enchantress warned. "Even when you've become strong enough to let go…it will always exist. It _has _to."

"I understand that now, my dear. And that is what will establish my control. That is what will make my ultimate victory my greatest one ever."

"Do not forget the cost of my services."

"You _will _be rewarded with what you desire, Magica," Sharak nodded gratefully. "All those who serve me loyally will get what they wish. What they have earned. You know this."

Magica laughed in evil delight.

"McDuck…your precious Number One Dime will soon be mine!"

"Do _not _forget what I am," the emperor advised, darkly. "The _true _part of me…the _dominant_ part…will _never _change."

"I'm _so _glad, master. These 'white rooms' of Castle Oblivion are truly amazing, aren't they? The contents transforming in response to the memories of whoever steps inside. And this one, after extensive restructuring, was actually capable of laying out an _entire _life in one go."

"Without the need of any _cards_. Xehanort's genius has been improved upon by me…and my followers. The war will be won by me, this time."

"You sound confident, emperor."

"Perfectly aware of the _very real _chance of failure…and stronger and more successful because of it."

Ilxsa then knocked on the chamber doors.

"Yes, Ilxsa, come in. We have finished."

The teenage Nobody entered the room, bowing before Sharak.

"Give your report," he ordered.

"Sora, Donald and Goofy have finally awakened. They have left Twilight Town, Yen Sid has shown them the way. They will open the special gates to other worlds and fight the Heartless and Nobodies."

She paused before adding, "Organization XIII have revealed their presence to them."

"Doubtless they'll still have forgotten their first encounter with them a year ago. It matters not, either way. Sora will nonetheless defy them, battle to destroy them. DiZ's plan is in motion. This is excellent. I may not have to raise my hand, after all. And when Sora destroys them all, the exhausted hero will fall before me. My revenge will be complete, and my ascension will be fulfilled."

"There is another development. One that could cause problems. _Maleficent _has returned from the grave."

Sharak grew concerned.

"Revived by the memories of Yen Sid's fairies, most likely. She will embark on yet another campaign for power. She also will seek vengeance on Sora. And attempt to hinder Xemnas and his followers. This clearly complicates matters."

"She cannot do much at this present time," Ilxsa pointed out.

"And she _knows _that. Her inner circle fell apart, she lost Hollow Bastion to Leon and his restoration committee…I take it she has been forced to retreat to the Villain's Vale? And been forced to rely on that thick-skinned oaf, Pete, to build her an army?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," confirmed Ilxsa. "She knows she can do little to nothing without a _proper_ stronghold and allies. She is obviously intelligent to realise that."

"She will be wasting her time trying to put back together her alliance of villains," remarked Sharak. "I strongly doubt they even care about Kingdom Hearts, anymore. They'd be now focused on the _small _picture; conquering their own worlds and obtaining simple means of revenge. The _fools_. Revenge may be satisfying on one level, but what real good is it if it only reaps a very small reward? Or nothing at all?"

"They were her allies at one time. And at another, yours. You both showed them the way. Maybe…"

"Possible," the creature interrupted Ilxsa, "but I strongly doubt it. Maleficent was really the only one of them who possessed the vision and the power to make her claim. Her threat level is easily up there with Xemnas, Hi-Jax, Sora…and myself. But _enough_. We must hasten our work at once. What is the status of Project: Coldstone?"

Ilxsa explained about Drakken's problems.

Turning to Magica, Sharak ordered, "I want the project completed _now_."

"As you wish," she bowed and exited the room.

"Ilxsa…make a new friend."

The Darkest Exile teleported away, leaving Sharak all alone, once again with his thoughts.

And his light.

And the vision of his rival, Xemnas, the Organization's Superior, standing before him, smiling at him, tauntingly.

The image of No. 1 faded away. Sharak opened a portal and proceeded to walk through it, thinking about him and Xemnas, their heated feud, their quest for power and everything they had both done so far to completely torture and destroy one another.

Knowing that the situation was reaching boiling point and that an end to their rivalry was on its way.

"Soon. Very soon."

* * *

**_Again, please comment on what you like and don't like._**

**_See you whenever! (hopefully sooner instead of later)_**

**_D.C. Wood._**


	9. Chapter 9: How Impossible!

**_Author's note: Hello again! It's been a while, eh? Countless apologies. I started a job two months again, and that's somewhat curtailed my writing activities. And that, coupled with the fact that this was by far the most difficult chapter to write so far, has made this update to be delayed much longer than I wanted it to._**

**_Anyways...this chapter is FINALLY complete and hopefully this signifies a more constant progression with this story, with more updates and plenty of surprises!_**

**_One tiny little request...can more people PLEASE review my story? I'd really like to know what people think of this. Is it too long? Is it progressing well enough? What do you think?_**

**_Anyway, see you soon!_**

**_D.C. Wood (19/11/07)

* * *

_**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 9: How Impossible!_**

_Well…this seems like your average city, _thought Hi-Jax, looking at the damaged sign which read 'Middleton'. _Masses all hustle and bustle, people just living out their lives…and then all of a sudden, a crisis appears, making almost everyone flee in panic and thus really putting a crimp on your day._

Sure enough, Heartless were terrorizing the whole city, attacking its fleeing inhabitants. Hi-Jax surveyed his adversaries. They were Emblem Heartless, _new _ones created by Sharak. Massive robot-like warriors, armed with missile launchers mounted on their shoulders and wielding huge assault rifles, spraying everywhere with bullets. These new artificial Heartless were undeniably powerful and well-armoured, but noticeably slow and awkward.

Hi-Jax used his 'reading' abilities to identify the newcomers as 'Clunkers'. Then he wondered if Sharak had run out of ideas for new names, because he felt the name 'Clunkers' was so stupid.

Before he jumped into the fray.

One Clunker had a mother and her little daughter cornered and was about to open fire, when Hi-Jax grabbed its shoulders, jerked back, and slammed it hard onto its neck. The eighteen-year-old screamed for the innocents to getaway from the warzone as faraway as they could. They were only too happy to oblige.

The huge Heartless rose to face the anomaly, slowly drawing its rifle. Hi-Jax's speed was far superior, and he easily kicked the weapon out of the creature's hand. Channelling his dark energy into his right hand, the anomaly raised his fist to administer the finishing blow.

_Let's see how well your new critters handle the old T.K.O., Sharak._

The punch connected violently, scattering fragments of armour-plating everywhere. The Clunker flew across the street and smashed through a shop window. Hi-Jax stood still for a moment. Had he destroyed the creature? The exile _knew _that he hadn't. And true enough, the big monster was back on its feet, blasting through the shop's front and advancing menacingly towards him. The holes and cracks in the armour-plating now revealed a disturbing sight of dark Heartless 'flesh' pulsating within.

"Ah," remarked Hi-Jax, raising an eyebrow and further noting the Clunker's high health levels. "This is going to get complicated."

He raised the rifle he had secretly snatched from the Clunker and opened fire, emptying it of whatever ammunition it had left. The firepower was truly awesome, causing spectacular damage to the Clunker's armour. More pieces were blasted from the Heartless' hide, exposing more of the dark creature within, yet it still marched towards the teenager, undeterred.

But unfortunately for Adam, the rifle soon ran out of ammunition, and thus faded away from his grasp.

And back into the Clunker's, completely reloaded.

"Again…ah."

The creature then went ballistic, unloading gunfire and missiles in Hi-Jax's direction. The teenage exile summoned Reflega magic to shield himself from the gunfire. Then he sprinted for cover as the missiles homed in on him.

_I HATE heat-seekers, _sighed Hi-Jax as he quickly cast Blizzaga spells to protect himself. The sub-zero magic immobilised five of the missiles, but three more remained, and they were getting closer to hitting him. Materializing shuriken of light and dark into his possession, and leaping to a safe distance, Hi-Jax destroyed the remaining missiles. Then he cast a powerful Graviga on the Clunker, flattening it and destroying the last traces of armour. When the spell wore off, the giant, exposed Heartless threw its weaponry to one side and charged towards Hi-Jax. Without the heavy armour and weaponry slowing it down, the creature had now become faster.

Remembering that he had to conserve his magic as much as he could, the anomaly summoned his swords to his possession, dodged the powerful strikes from the Clunker and retaliated in kind. Even without its armour and weaponry, the new Heartless proved a dangerous opponent. If anything, the loss of its biggest asset had made it a degree or two faster. It was still strong enough to deliver incredible damage, and it still maintained high health levels.

Nonetheless, Hi-Jax struck the giant repeatedly, and after _fifteen _sword strikes, he finally managed to destroy it.

_Tough critter…and there's a whole CITY full of these things_.

And six more Clunkers appeared from nowhere, all fully armed and armoured and surrounding Hi-Jax, rifles aimed directly at him.

_If this world has heroes, _thought Hi-Jax, raising an eyebrow, _I wouldn't mind meeting them. Not to say that I can't handle this by myself…but having help can't hurt._

Sure enough, Hi-Jax received. A newcomer kicked one of the Clunkers from behind with both feet. Swinging on a line, she landed on the top of the lamppost. The assault on the Clunker had staggered it, and as such triggered the release of its missiles. They flew in all directions, hitting the other Heartless. Hi-Jax had teleported out of harm's way, and was punching and kicking one of the Clunkers from behind to try and damage the armour more.

The Clunker span round violently, swatting the teenager with its enormous strength. Hi-Jax impacted against a lamppost several feet away, making it crumple, break and fall down with a colossal crash. Hi-Jax tried to shrug off the pain and looked up to the Clunker pick up a nearby car, press it above its head and hurl it at Hi-Jax.

Hi-Jax somersaulted to a safe recovery position, then used his telekinesis to reach out for the car before it could land. He then willed it towards him, and pressed it above his head, getting ready to throw it back at the Clunker. But whoever was pulling the Heartless' strings here obviously knew what they were doing. The Clunker opened fire while Hi-Jax was wide open. Surprised, the teenager quickly threw the car back at the Heartless and somersaulted backwards to try and getaway.

Unfortunately, the gunfire tore the car apart in seconds. The resulting explosion propelled Hi-Jax back even further, even though he had summoned dark shields to protect himself as best he could. The anomaly landed hard on his shoulder. Seconds later, he got back up to his feet, to see the Clunker unloading on missiles.

The other Heartless were preoccupied with the newcomer. They all unloaded on her with gunfire and missiles…and they didn't even come close to hitting her. The girl was a teenager, with long, beautiful ginger hair, bright green eyes, and a round, attractive face. She had the general appearance of a high school girl that every boy would want to date.

_Except_ she was all dressed up and kitted out like a freelance secret agent. She had tremendous athletic ability, skill and stamina, which was clearly evident by the way she kept somersaulting faraway from all the subsequent explosions. Eyes focused, she fired another grapnel and swung away, expertly and confidently weaving in and out of the path of incoming fire and projectiles. Then she swung lower and lifted her feet up at the right moment, connecting precisely with another Clunker's chin, making it stumble backwards. Stray shots were fired, connecting with another Clunker, scattering pieces of its armour.

The teenage girl retracted her grapnel as she cannonballed upwards and landed on feet before the stumbling Clunker. Smiling, she used both her legs to sweep the giant Heartless off its feet. It fell back into another Clunker, who was about to fire its missiles. The result was a huge explosion that severely damaged the two Heartless. The agent had long since rolled to safety by this point, smiling confidently.

But the dark creatures…were still standing.

Much to the teenager's concern.

They fired their rifles at her again, forcing her to evade again. Quickly, she reached into her pocket, took out her communication device and contacted her computer genius.

"Wade," she began, retreating to behind an abandoned car for cover, "dumb question time! You getting all this?"

"_Me and all the networks in town, Kim!"_ the ten-year-old replied, frantically clicking and typing away on his computer.

"Is it Drakken again?"

"_Scans of these things MATCH his technology. THAT'S as far as the ARMOUR goes. But that heart symbol on the bad guys' chest, and what's inside the shell…well, your guess is as good as mine!"_

Kim's eyes widened as she made a run for new cover. The car exploded thanks to another missile, the force of the explosion propelling her across the street. Instinctively, she rolled with it, landing perfectly and somersaulting away from the Clunkers' barrage to a nearby alley for better cover.

"_Kimmie, are you still there?!"_ yelled a concerned Wade.

"I'm fine!" she confirmed, talking back to her Kimmunicator. "Just keep looking for what you can about these things! Ron and I'll contain things here before we take care of Drakken!"

"_I'll see what I can find out, but if these things are as far out as I suspect, I may have to go to another world altogether to get what we're looking for!"_

"Can you do that?"

"_Latest OOTW-9000 wireless modem!" _Wade proudly explained. _"Takes care of everything! Still gonna take time browsing through the web, though! I'll get back with you soon as!_

"Over and out!" Kim responded. Wade took a giant slurp from a soda can before giving a 'thumbs-up' and getting on with the task at hand. Kim switched off her Kimmunicator, put it back in her pocket, and climbed up the nearest fire escape as fast as she could to get up to the rooftops.

Three Clunkers had moved in on her position, however, and fired on the teenager, who narrowly managed to avoid the onslaught. Then, they stopped firing when a waste bin collided against a Clunker's head. They all turned around to see yet another newcomer.

It was another teenager, this time male, but again looking like he belonged in high school, yet kitted out as a freelance agent. He appeared to be the polar opposite of Kim. Whereas her general appearance was attractive, professional and graceful, everything about the newcomer's manner and appearance screamed bumbling, awkward and _underdog_.

As well as childish.

The newcomer taunted the Heartless by jeering and blowing raspberries at them, daring them to come and get him. They all raised their weapons at the adolescent…

Just as another Clunker appeared behind him with a gasoline truck pressed high above its head, ready to smash down on top of the teenager. He bolted at the last second, running and dodge-rolling expertly in and out of the hail of bullets, and then sprinting for his life after avoiding the slammed gasoline truck.

Naturally, the bullets ignited the gasoline. The inferno grew more and more intense as the all the Clunkers' missiles exploded because of the sheer volume of the funeral pyre.

The agent, now a safe distance away, stood up to survey the amazing explosion. Dusting himself off, he grinned with satisfaction and a raised eyebrow.

"Ron Factor," he pointed to himself, braggingly. "Gets 'em _every _time."

Unfortunately, roars from the flames proved otherwise. Four (now armour-less) Clunkers emerged, running fast towards the astounded teenager. He didn't want to believe it. His greatest attribute had failed to stop these things. And now…they were all picking up cars and throwing them in his direction. The agent, in a state of total denial, could only mutter with his eyes widened in disbelief, "But…it gets 'em _every _time."

Before the cars could flatten him, Kim swung in on a line and rescued him just in time. Snapping out of it, he looked to see the smiling Kim, as they landed a safe distance away.

"Not _quite, _Ron…" she comforted, "but _getting _there."

"Thanks, KP," he smiled back, feeling better already.

"Anyway, you took out their armour and weapons!" Kim pointed out. "So _now_…"

Kim took out a handful small devices out from her back pack and hurled them at the sprinting Clunkers. They all stuck to their hides and completed a circuit. A massive electrical current surged through their bodies in a live circuit, severely depleting their health levels.

"They can feel the heat. Wade delivers yet again."

The live circuit soon burnt out though, and the Heartless were _still _standing. And they quickly shrugged off the after-affects of the electricity. And resumed their advance.

"Great…" moaned Kim, starting to feel frustrated over how _seemingly _invincible these creatures were.

"We're not done yet, KP!" smiled Ron, knowing it was his turn to be supportive. "We just gotta keep letting 'em have it!"

Ron then charged into the fray, throwing more of Wade's devices at them. Kim could only smile at Ron's optimism. Even though Ron's throws missed the targets, the devices landed inches in front of the creatures.

Where they accidentally trod on them, electrocuting themselves in the process. The circuit soon burnt out again, though, but they were now critically weakened, leaving two of them to be downed by an amazing flurry of acrobatic kicks and punches from Kim.

As the Heartless fell though, their defeated bodies transformed back into hearts, where they floated up toward the sky and disappeared. The sight was unlike anything Kim and Ron had ever seen before.

"Oookay," remarked Kim, raising an eyebrow. "That's like, _beyond _totally weird."

"That's like a living dichotomy of…" began Ron, about to break of into one of his occasional flashes of genius intellect, but was interrupted by a vicious sucker-punch from one of the remaining Clunkers, knocking him silly. Kim turned round out of compassion to aid Ron, only to be blindsided herself by the other Clunker. They both landed beside one another on the ground, with the two Clunkers reaching for their hearts.

Kim and Ron, refusing to go down this way, tried to stand up. The colossal roar surprised them as two more Clunkers (pieces of armour and weaponry dangling from their battered bodies) flew from the still-raging inferno and collided with their fellow Heartless. Two more hearts travelled up into the sky, where as the last two Heartless looked to the flames (along with Kim and Ron).

Hi-Jax used his powers to rip off the tops of nearby fire-hydrants to douse the flames. After finishing the job with Blizzaga magic, Hi-Jax flew towards the last two Heartless and used his dark powers to send up pillars of darkness to batter the creatures high into the air.

Where he finished the job with the scythe he had conjured from his light.

Hi-Jax withdrew his weapon and gently floated back to ground level, as the hearts went to Kingdom Hearts. Kim and Ron, now back on their feet, stared at the anomaly in silent awe. Both of them thinking and saying only one thing.

"WOAH."

Hi-Jax turned round to greet them.

"Hi, name's Hi-Jax. Out-of-towner, come to Middleton to stop bad guys. You?"

"Uh…Kim. Kim Possible," she introduced, offering a hand of friendship, although she did feel a little jealous of Hi-Jax for the way he took down the Heartless better than she and Ron had done. Hi-Jax felt the small amount of jealously, among so many more things in what was an amazingly complex, yet so strong and good heart. The anomaly also recognised genuine compassion and friendship, which is why he gladly shook her hand.

"And this is…"

"_Ron…Stoppable_," he proudly finished, shaking Hi-Jax's hand. "Sidekick and boyfriend."

"Pleasure," the teenager replied. Hi-Jax could feel all the emotions pulsating from Ron's heart. He didn't even have to look deep into it to tell it was a complex heart, similar but different to Kim's.

_Type B personality, _he deduced, remembering his schooling from the Council of Light. _As opposed to the type A personality belonging to Kim._

Then came the explanations. Hi-Jax told his story, Kim and Ron told theirs. After the exchange…

"_CITIZENS OF MIDDLETON…" _boomed Drakken's voice, as his twisted, maniacal face appeared on the large video screen at the top of the central tower nearby in the town square, "I _WON'T BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH…YOU HAVE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS TO SURRENDER YOURSELVES TO MY FORCES AND PAY ME 50 MILLION MUNNY…OR BE LOST TO DARKNESS ALONG WITH THIS WORLD!!! Oh, and Kim Possible…TRY AND STOP ME!!!"_

The announcement ended with the mad scientist cackling uncontrollably. Then the transmission switched into static. Hi-Jax, Kim and Ron stared at the massive video screen for a few moments before turning to each other again.

"Friend of yours, I take it?" asked Hi-Jax.

"Yep," answered Kim, simply and quickly. "Doctor Drakken, arch-pain-in-the-butt."

"I think this time he's lost it," remarked Ron.

Kim raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, he's lost it much more than usual."

"I dunno. He's a loser but he's one who _does_ have his 'on' days. This could be one of them. Those 'Heartless' flunkies he created…he's never unleashed anything like that before."

"The whole thing's _really _starting to smell now like a Sharak involvement," nodded Hi-Jax, sure of it.

"This 'Sharak' a _real _friend of yours, HJ?" Ron asked.

_HJ? _thought the anomaly, unsure about this new nickname for a moment, but soon accepting it, shrugging, _I've been called worse. _"Father of the Heartless, one-time ruler of the universe, naturally _my _arch-nemesis…_too _long and complicate a story to go over _every_thing here and now. Anyway, short story is that he's trying to takeover everything again, so he's going to different worlds to recruit help. And judging by the presence of new Heartless here, and Drakken's threat…I'd say he's Sharak's new chief scientist."

"How seriously is this guy meant to be taken?" asked Kim, quietly with her eyes narrowed.

"DEADLY…seriously," Hi-Jax replied darkly, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in. Both Kim and Ron's serious expressions implied they got the point.

"Why do you ask?"

"Even though Drakken can be dangerous," began the female agent, "most of the time he _misses _much more than he _hits. _If this Sharak guy is as big and as bad as you say…what _was _he thinking choosing _Drakken _to help him?"

"He's _not _stupid. There's a method to everything he does. And if he's using Drakken to unleash Heartless on your world, then that would mean…"

Hi-Jax's eyes widened considerably when he thought back to Drakken's threat. Surrender or fall to darkness.

"I know what's he planning to do," he explained to them.

"What?"

"I'll explain on the way. What we need to do now, though, is to try and stop the Heartless here before we go after Drakken. Any idea where he is?"

"You really _are _an out-of-towner, HJ," smiled Ron, taking a magazine out of his backpack, flicking through the pages to show a section that had been circled in red pen.

The article was an exclusive feature on Doctor Drakken, detailing his accomplishments, persona etc. The section circled in red pen revealed the exclusive whereabouts of Drakken's 'secret' lair.

Hi-Jax read the article for a few moments. Then he simply looked back up at Kim and Ron.

"Is this _legit_?"

"_Totally_," they both said in unison.

"Then I can understand why you're both wondering why Sharak would recruit Drakken. Still…all the letters in this are beginning to arrange themselves into a little word that doubtless we all know only too well."

"You mean a trap?" Ron correctly guessed.

"Yep."

"Just out of interest…" began Kim, "why didn't you just _say _so? I knew what you meant, but…"

"Sorry. A lot of my enemies are loquacious, cryptic bores who enjoy riddles far too much. It's kinda rubbed off on me, sadly. Anyway…do you wanna lead the way, Kim?"

"Okay, then…welcome to Team Possible, Hi-Jax."

Before they could go anywhere, though, Kim's Kimmunicator 'beeped' for attention. She took it out of pocket and switched it back on to receive the transmission.

"Talk to me, Wade."

"Kim…this is bad."

"What's bad?"

"The whole situation…it's _bad _bad. It took me longer than usual, but I finally dug out something about these creatures. They're…"

"_Heartless_," Kim interrupted nodding her head, knowing what Wade was going to say. "Darkness in people's hearts made real. Drakken's teamed up with them in a bid for his latest crackpot scheme."

"How'd you…?" the ten-year-old computer genius asked, confused. Kim then showed the Kimmunicator to Hi-Jax.

"Hi-Jax, meet our expert computer genius, Wade. Completed his high-school and college education in eight months, supplies us with all the necessary gadgets and oversees our missions. Wade, meet Hi-Jax. Fights Heartless as part of his job description. Knows all about them, knows how to deal with 'em."

"Completed your high-school _and _college education in _eight _months? And you're…_how _old?" asked Hi-Jax, genuinely surprised.

"Ten," he pointed to himself, proudly.

"I'm impressed," confessed the teenage anomaly. "Obviously a fast learner. Doubtless, you've figured out what they're up to as well, have you?"

"Have I! Kim, Ron, you've got to move fast! I hacked into this computer! It was unlike anything I've ever hacked into before! Counter-measures in it were absolutely insane! They eventually threw me out, but I found out what the Heartless are after!"

"I think Drakken just told us, Wade," answered Ron, scratching his head. "He's gonna let the Heartless run amok unless…"

"No, you don't understand! The Heartless aren't just after the hearts of people…they steal the hearts of _worlds_!"

Kim and Ron's eyes widened in silent shock. They both turned to Hi-Jax, who now appeared slightly tense and exhaled in painful remembrance over when he had lost his home twice to the dark creatures.

"Say _what_?"

"They search for something called a 'Keyhole'. They journey to other worlds out there to find it. And once they have…they _feast on it_. The world dies…and the heart of it belongs to _them_."

Kim and Ron could tell that Wade was being uncharacteristically…and _deadly_ serious. They then turned to Hi-Jax, who looked more tense than he had been a few moments ago.

Now fully realising who and what Hi-Jax was…and how this was unlike any adventure they had partaken in before, Kim and Ron fell silent, their eyes locked onto Hi-Jax's. They knew that this Sharak _had _to be taken seriously and could only guess what Drakken was thinking. Whether or not his insane mind had grasped the enormity of what he was involved in.

"_This_…is what you were gonna tell us," Kim said to the anomaly.

"Yeah. That's why I said I'd explain later. Because we need to get to Drakken's base _fast_. I'm sorry. I…"

"Say no more. But it doesn't make sense. Drakken wants to _rule _the world, not destroy it. He's such a wimp. And I doubt that he'd follow through on his threat if his ransom remands…"

"I think the whole ransom thing is a cover-up, y'know," spoke out Ron, the others turning to him as he spoke. "I mean, as HJ said, the whole thing's a trap to lure us to his base. I mean, he _publicly challenged _us to stop him. And if the ransom scheme's all phoney, y'know, then that _could also _mean…"

"I _strongly doubt _that their plan to let the world fall to darkness is fake," interrupted Hi-Jax respectfully. "_Possible_, certainly…no pun intended, Kim, I _swear…_given that it's a trap, but not likely. If he was bluffing, we would've been able to tell. We all know that."

"Meaning that Drakken's used his technology to find the Keyhole…if he hasn't opened it already, that is," finished Kim, nodding in certainty of the theory.

"So, what's this Sharak guy hoping to get from this?" asked Ron, scratching his head.

"More power, expanding his domain, increasing his Heartless ranks, to draw me out to destroy me…" explained the anomaly. "The list is endless with him. But all this speculation has to stop. Sharak's supplied Drakken with Heartless to upgrade with his technology, and he's helping him find the Keyhole. Bottom line: they have to be stopped…which is why we have to get there _now_."

"Even though we know where his base is," warned Kim, "it's not just a case of walking through the front door. It IS a fortress. And it's _so _not easy to get into. And it takes a long bus ride to get there."

"_Buses?_" smiled Hi-Jax, eyebrow raised as he snapped his fingers. A portal of light appeared, much to Kim and Ron's amazement. "_This _is the future of public transport. Instantaneous and completely free of charge. After you, guys."

"Uh…are you a _god,_ mister?" asked Ron.

The question humbled Hi-Jax somewhat. He responded with a reply that could be interpreted as putting himself down.

"Most of the time, 'god' is just an overused name that's given to those who've done nothing to deserve it. I'm not even close to being a god, pal. I'm just some loser who was turned into a powerful weapon and am now trying to be what you two are."

"Which is what?" asked an astonished Kim.

"_Free_. Free to be a hero. Free to have the life that I _want_. Free to have people to love and cherish and never lose them. And to be free to escape the past."

Both Kim and Ron were absolutely staggered by what he had just said.

"Don't get too caught up in my own grief, guys. And what I say. Just know that I'm here to be your friend…and I've got your backs."

"Wow, you're like a totally complicated person," smiled Kim.

"Like you guys, you mean?" the anomaly smiled back.

"Oh, please!" dismissed the grinning Ron.

* * *

Seconds later, Hi-Jax, Kim and Ron had teleported inside Drakken's headquarters. Wade had managed to hack into Drakken's computer to determine the location of the keyhole. It was right in the engineering bay. 

Drakken's machines had already opened it.

And near _those_ machines…were _others_ that Hi-Jax recognised.

Machines that produced Heartless.

Kim and Ron were absolutely fascinated the keyhole. Drakken's inter-dimensional rays had drawn it out perfectly. The outline of a keyhole shape, drawn in bright light, opened and visible in reality itself, with the dark, pulsating energy of the world's heart beating inside.

It was truly entrancing. Startling, yet beautiful at the same time.

"It's already open…" remarked Hi-Jax, knowing all too well what this meant.

"Can you close it?" asked Kim. The teenage anomaly tried to do so, channelling his light into his raised hand. The physical strain was great and plain across Hi-Jax's face, as he tried to close the keyhole.

The attempt was valiant and admirable…but all for naught.

"Could really do with a Keyblade here…" sighed Hi-Jax to himself, frustrated that even he couldn't close the keyhole…and frustrated for _other_, more personalreasons.

"So what do we do?" asked Ron.

"Wade," Kim contacted via her Kimmunicator, "hack into Drakken's computer. If these machines opened the keyhole, they can close it. _If_ Drakken remembered to fit in a reverse switch, that is."

"_Okay, Kim! But you're gonna have to link the Kimmunicator up to his computer so I can properly interface with it and switch it all off."_

As Wade explained to Kim and Ron what they had to do to help close the keyhole, Hi-Jax was lost in his thoughts. Not just the opened keyhole and what it meant, but how it all seemed too quiet, too _easy_. He immediately expected trouble, an ambush…this was a blatant trap, after all.

But…the _last _time something like this had happened…Hi-Jax saw Larxene, the arrogant sadist who had dismantled his life. She had returned to taunt him mercilessly and to receive a vicious beating at Hi-Jax's hands.

Only one problem.

Larxene was _dead_, slain by the hand of Sora. She had been dead for a _year_. And once Nobodies are slain…they can _never _return from oblivion.

And seconds later, Hi-Jax had discovered that he had been delusional. Larxene was never even there.

The whole experience had been…more than odd. It had never ever happened to Hi-Jax before in his life, and as a result had been unnerving and unsettling for a moment before the anomaly shrugged it off and put it to the back of his mind.

But now…

It was happening again.

Only this time, Hi-Jax was seeing the one who had _rebuilt _his life in an insidious attempt to _control _it.

Vexen, the Chilly Academic, and the Organization's No. 4. After Sharak had attacked the Organization, Vexen had rallied the surviving Nobodies together, formed a truce with DiZ, and conspired to undo all the harm Sharak had done, and use Hi-Jax as a counter-measure against the creature. He had also created a replica of Riku and attempted to thwart Marluxia and Larxene's rebellion, only to be terminated by Axel.

The Unknown scientist, removed his hood to reveal his long hair, his green eyes and pale face that could twist into either an expression befitting of an aloof, upper-class man…or of a conniving, cowardly reptile.

Vexen smiled, pretending to express warmth and admiration, as a father would upon his son.

"Hi-Jax…my strong Hi-Jax. Look how you've grown. So strong, so _elite_…so superior to Sharak. You've done me proud…along with the entire Organization."

Hi-Jax looked into the core of Vexen's being. Again…it was real. Hi-Jax looked long, hard and deep…his senses were _not _lying. Vexen was standing before him, just like Larxene had…

Before she had vanished like she had never been there at all.

Upon remembering that, Hi-Jax turned his back on the delusion, pretending that he _wasn't _going mad, and walked away to rejoin Kim and Ron. Much to Vexen's anger.

"_Don't _you _dare _pretend I'm not here, boy!" scowled the scientist. "I _made _you! And you follow _my _will! _SLAVE._"

The way Vexen had hissed that last part was perfect. It made the anomaly stop dead in his tracks. Slave. _No one _called Hi-Jax that. He was a slave to nothing and no one. Vexen chuckled and smirked mockingly to further add salt to the wounds. And at that moment, Hi-Jax almost felt like turning around and making the cringe-coward eat those badly chosen words.

_Almost_.

Hi-Jax just assured himself that he was imagining things again and, not wanting to make a fool of himself a second time, continued walking towards Kim and Ron.

That made the smile on Vexen's face drop instantly.

"You cannot run away from _memory_, my Hi-Jax."

Using the element of ice, Vexen conjured up massive pillars of ice that smashed up out of the ground, charging towards Hi-Jax. That instantly made the anomaly turn round to see the attack. Not wanting to believe that _this _was an illusion, he yelled for the others to watch out. Both Kim and Ron, shocked by what was going on, evaded the mammoth ice attack but only just.

The pillars of ice soon shattered into fragments that melted and disappeared without a trace. Confused and angry over what was going on, Hi-Jax turned round to face the Chilly Academic with blood in his eyes.

Only to discover that Vexen wasn't there.

And more disturbingly…it felt as though he had never been there at all.

But…the _damage _the pillars of ice had caused still remained. And Kim and Ron had seen it and knew for themselves that it was real.

"Where the heck did _that _come from?" asked Ron. "One of Drakken's booby traps? Or is it…?"

Hi-Jax didn't pay any attention to Ron's theorisations. He just stared in silent shock at his hands. All of a sudden they now felt cold. In fact, they were at sub-zero temperature, with traces of Blizzaga magic fading away.

Hi-Jax's hands instantly returned to normal temperature, even more bizarrely. Then they started to tremble with fear over the possibility that Hi-Jax himself may have subconsciously created the ice pillars.

He quickly tried to hide his shaking hands from Kim and Ron's eyes, whilst thinking, _What's going on? What's happening to me?_

"Well, well, well!" interrupted a voice. "Little Miss Princess and her betrothed Prince Dweeb have arrived to save the day! _Again_. Later than usual, though…_so _must be wasting time sitting in a tree."

Kim and Ron looked up to the rafters to see an all too familiar face.

"You're looking paler than usual, Shego!" Kim shouted back, smirking. "Sick of being _lonely_? Maybe sick of being evil and not having any friends or family?"

The mercenary glared at her arch-rival for a few seconds, looking as though Kim's taunt might actually have stung her. Then she retorted, "As if! Love is for freaks!"

"Do _I _look like a freak?" challenged Hi-Jax. Shego turned her attention to the anomaly, then smiled evilly at him.

"So, _you're _the Organization's failsafe, huh? Well, you certainly look like something they'd use."

"So, _you're _the hired 'muscle', eh?" the anomaly retorted back. "Sharak _must _be getting desperate, after all."

"Watch that mouth of yours, Mahanah's boy," Shego smiled, sweetly. "It might get you into even more trouble."

"I eat, drink, breathe, sleep and live trouble, dearie," he smiled. "Because I _am _trouble. Now, then…unless there's any more insults you wish to trade, shall we get on with us shutting this operation down and beating you?"

"You make that sound so simple, hero!" remarked Doctor Drakken, as he emerged from the shadows to join Shego. He was proudly brandishing a remote control, Kim and Hi-Jax could easily guess what it might control.

"Any last words before I destroy this pathetic world?!" the mad scientist yelled, laughing. Kim and the others could tell that he had lost the plot much more than usual.

Stepping forward, Kim smiled, and in a sweet, flattering voice, said, "Look, I know it's frustrating failing again and again to try and take over the world. But don't you see? If you just throw up your arms in the air, have a complete stress-out, and just mindlessly want to destroy the world because you've had enough of pursuing world domination, that'd be taking the _easy _way out. And _no one_ would respect you for the genius you are _that _way!"

Drakken scratched his head for a few seconds, then rubbed his chin, before staring at the device in his hand, contemplating Kim's words.

Looking down on his adversaries, Drakken smiled, "Oh, I agree. But then again…I _am _insane."

Hi-Jax and the others widened their eyes in shock as Drakken cackled and activated the control device to turn on the Heartless machines, which would create dozens of dark creatures to infiltrate the keyhole and take the heart of this world.

…

…

_Nothing _happened.

A confused and frustrated Drakken rapidly pressed the button on his control device. He shook it wildly in his hand for the next several seconds trying to get it to work. Hi-Jax looked to Kim and asked her, "Is this loser for real?"

"Yep," she nodded, simply.

"What's _wrong _with this confounded thing?!" yelled the mad scientist. Shego just sunk her face into the palm of her hand muttering, "Give me strength!" Drakken just frantically pressed all the buttons on his remote, shaking it vigorously at the devices below.

After a while, he removed the back cover of the remote control to discover he hadn't put the batteries in.

"Ah…" he grinned to Shego rather sheepishly.

"GIMMIE THAT!" she yelled, snatching the remote from her boss' hand, who just cowered in fear. Shaking her head in frustration, Shego muttered, "God's sake," to herself before taking some batteries out of her pocket and about to put them in the remote.

She didn't get that far. A shuriken made of darkness, swift and sure, ripped through the remote in Shego's hand, breaking it into pieces that flew out of her hand and landed by her feet.

Drakken's eyes widened at Hi-Jax in shock and amazement. Whereas Shego's eyes narrowed in further annoyance at the anomaly. Yet also in concentration and anticipation.

Hi-Jax just simply stared at Shego.

_Maybe I will get a laugh out of this, after all,_ thought Drakken's henchwoman.

The tense animosity in the air was then intruded upon by a mysterious beeping sound coming from Drakken's coat pocket. Everyone turned to him, as he searched himself, confused and wondering where the sound was coming from.

"Ah, of course!" he gleefully remembered, pulling out another remote control device from his lab coat, a red light flickering, and a warning buzzer blaring. Drakken's confidence resurfaced to his face as he spoke in a surprised tone of voice, "I'd _forgotten_ I'd already set the automatic timer on the Heartless machines!"

The heroes' eyes all widened in shock as the machines all suddenly hummed loudly to life, crackling with electricity and radiating purple, dark energy.

An evil, sadistic grin spread across Drakken's face.

"Silly me."

Dozens of Soldiers materialized. Kim and Ron assumed battle stances, Hi-Jax drew his swords into existence and the three allies stood together as their enemies closed in around them.

"Kill the heroes and then into the keyhole you go!" ordered the deranged scientist. Shego smiled in approval of how well Drakken had been able to turn things around.

The masses of twitching dark bodies and eerie yellow eyes was starting to intimidate Ron greatly. His knees started to turn to jelly at the sight of these Heartless.

"And I thought MONKEYS were THIS bad?!" screamed Ron.

"What do you say we stick to our _individual _areas of expertise?" Hi-Jax asked Kim.

"_Way _ahead of you," she smiled confidently, giving the anomaly a 'thumb's up'.

"Ready to rock?"

"Hi-Jax…I can do _anything_!" she responded confidently and cheerfully.

Smiling in friendly response, the teenage anomaly replied, "I believe you, my friend."

"Ron!" Kim turned to her boyfriend, throwing her Kimmunicator to him. He nearly failed to catch it and even then almost dropped it, but it still remained safe in his hands. "Get to Drakken's computer and plug this in! Help Wade shut the keyhole! He'll tell you what to do!"

"You got it, K.P.!" he saluted, before running off to reach for the console at the far end of the room.

"Hi-Jax, you know what to do!"

"Likewise!" he yelled as he decimated Heartless left and right, appearing in and out of thin air, giving Ron the necessary cover and protecting the keyhole at the same time from Heartless.

Kim, having shot a line, swung up high to the rafters to get on with _her _area of expertise. She landed before Shego, ready to engage her deadliest rival.

"Keep her occupied while I…!" Drakken began to order his employee, but his voice quickly faltered. "While I…I…"

The mad scientist just shrugged, turned and ran as fast as he could. Shego's eyes rolled upward as she sighed, "Typical."

Distracted by Drakken's cowardly retreat, Shego was knocked flat by Kim's sucker-punch.

"You said it, Shego," smirked the agent, as she ran after Drakken. Kim hadn't noticed the sly smile on the dazed Shego's face.

Moments later, Kim caught up with her greatest enemy, who had forgotten the route to where his emergency escape vehicle was. Cornered, helpless and no one to help and protect him, Drakken could only press himself against the wall, panic etched all over his face. As Kim advanced slowly towards him, Drakken huddled before her, cowering and beginning to cry.

"Please don't hurt me, Possible! I…"

"Save it, Drakken. I'm not playing the good cop with you, this time. You let this Sharak guy bully you into doing something really bad…and now you've gotta learn to…"

What happened next was the _last_ thing Kim _ever_ expected.

The attack came out of nowhere, sending her flying across the hall. She landed hard with a sickening thud, skidding across the floor before coming to a halt. Her opponent then rose to his feet, now towering above her.

Shocked and trying to fight unconsciousness, Kim looked up groggily to see that the trap wasn't quite what she and the others had expected.

"'Kim Possible…you think you're all that, but you're not.'"

"How…how's this possible?"

"Oh, come now, Miss Kimberly. _Anything_ is possible. _You_ of all people should know that."

* * *

Back in the engineering bay, Ron had plugged the Kimmunicator into the computer console and Wade was hacking into all of Drakken's systems to override them completely. In the meantime, Hi-Jax was just wiping out the Heartless as quickly as they faded into existence. 

A massive Thundaga spell decimated another large swarm of Soldiers, but as long as the Heartless machines were switched on, the numbers would just keep coming.

And Hi-Jax would get tired. _Eventually_.

"Are you guys nearly _done_?" yelled Hi-Jax to Ron and Wade, after impaling another Heartless.

"In a minute!" yelled Ron and Wade, both irritated with how complex Drakken's computer had _become_. So many fail-safes and counter-measures had never been programmed into the scientist's systems before. Still, slowly but surely…Ron and Wade were beating Drakken's computer and in a moment, the Heartless would be gone, the Keyhole would be closed and Middleton would be saved.

Then Ron became concerned.

"Hey, where's Kim?"

"I'm here, Ron!" she shouted, dumping a tied-up Drakken near Ron's feet. The couple hugged, happy to see one another.

"What happened to you?"

"I think Drakken must have been experimenting with some kind of super-strength serum," she explained seething, rubbing her jaw. "Sucker-punched me big-time! Would've finished me if it hadn't worn off."

"You sure you're okay?" asked her concerned boyfriend.

"Peachy," she smiled back. "How are we doing here?"

"HJ just needs to hold the Heartless off for a few more seconds!"

Speaking of which, Hi-Jax had just decimated a few more Soldiers when he stopped to notice something. He turned round to see Kim. He instantly noticed something about her that was _very_ different. Her heart seemed darker and unnatural, like it had been _tampered _with. In fact, the darkness in her heart matched the same level of evil that the anomaly had felt in _Drakken's _heart.

Confused, Hi-Jax looked at the tied-up, unconscious Drakken lying next to Team Possible.

His telepathy revealed a startling discovery.

The defeated Drakken was, in actuality…a very convincing _optical illusion_.

The teenage anomaly soon deduced what this made _Kim._

Hi-Jax opened his mouth to yell out a warning to Ron but before the words came, Hi-Jax felt the power of the 'recovered' Shego's energy blasts blast him violently from behind.

"Uh-uh-uh, Mahanah's boy!" grinned Shego, evilly, as she stood over her fallen foe, her hands flaming radioactive green. "Nobody likes a squealer!"

Kim and Ron turned to see their partner in trouble.

"Hang on, Hi-Jax!" yelled Kim. "We're coming!"

She and Ron raced off to their comrade's aid, but Ron hadn't noticed that Kim had all too soon come to an abrupt halt, leaving her boyfriend to try and tackle Shego on his own. Concerned about something, Kim retreated back to pick up her Kimmunicator, still plugged into Drakken's computer.

"Wade!"

"_For the Heartless and the Keyhole…" _grinned Wade, casually keying in the last override commands, _"that's all folks!"_

"Wade, we've got a _serious _problem!" cried out Kim in a panic.

"_What's wrong?" _The uncharacteristic tone of Kim's voice had stopped Wade from pressing the 'enter' key on his keyboard.

"The keyhole won't close…the Heartless machines won't turn off! Drakken's computer just disconnected the link!"

Wade's eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion.

"_The link's still active, Kim. Everything checks out a-okay here."_

"_Does _it?" she asked sweetly. "Wait a mo…"

Kim then yanked the cable out of Drakken's computer, disconnecting the link between Wade and the mad scientist's computer system.

"_Now _it's disconnected."

She then switched off her Kimmunicator and held it up high.

Getting ready to smash it.

Before she could throw it down, though, Ron grabbed her wrist and took the Kimmunicator off her.

"What are you doing?!" Ron was beyond shocked by the betrayal.

Kim just shrugged, smiled innocently and hummed 'I dunno."

At that point, Ron's eyes narrowed in anger.

"You're not Kim."

"Ah…" spoke the illusion of Drakken in a very rich, aristocratic voice. "So _every _dog _does _have its day."

The appearance of 'Drakken' speaking in a completely different voice took Ron by surprise. Giving 'Kim' the opportunity to head-butt the secret agent, knocking him out cold onto the floor.

"Would you like the opportunity of finishing the peasant off, my dear?" 'Kim' asked Shego in a gentleman-like fashion. "I can well imagine you've been wanting this opportunity for _years_."

"Oh, _yeah_," beamed Drakken's sidekick, getting ready to incinerate the unconscious Ron.

Hi-Jax, recovering fast, had had enough. He shot up to his feet in a flash, back-fisted Shego to the floor and shot a fireball of light at the impostor 'Kim'. The attack drove _him _safely away from Ron and revealed the pretender for what he truly was.

The Drakken fabrication dissipated into dark vapours that retreated into the being of the newcomer.

Hi-Jax surveyed the newcomer, his body comprised of thick, black, hazy darkness.

_Rejected shape-shifter created by the Organization. Obviously left to rot and later found and recruited by Sharak._

"Ah…the mighty Hi-Jax," observed Reflection, standing tall and dusting himself off. "At last, I can be acquainted with more nobility and royalty. Even if you are the former-king turned outlaw and wanderer."

"And what name do _you _go by, freak-faces?"

"_Sir _Reflection, sire." bowed the arrogant aristocrat. He then rose and casually threw a small cloud of darkness at Hi-Jax. The cloud connected right with Hi-Jax's face, completely blinding the teenager. The anomaly tried to rip the cloud away from him, but it had now enveloped round his shades, completely and effectively blinding him. Hi-Jax also could feel the attack sapping his health away.

Hi-Jax used his light to try and eliminate the dark cloud, and it seemed to be working. But Reflection had altered his form yet again. This time into a minotaur. The shape-shifter charged Hi-Jax, sending him flying up towards the rafters. The teenager's body smashed through one of the walkways high above, and then fell back down to ground level. Hi-Jax used his light in a great struggle to remove the dark blindfold and finally managed to cancel out Reflection's attack. His vision returned, he saw a recovered Shego leaping to intercept him.

Twisting his body just in the nick of time, Hi-Jax managed to conjure a shield of light to block Shego's lethal plasma attacks. The teenager then exchanged fierce blows with Shego in mid-air before they both landed on the ground, assuming battle stances, eyes locked and ready to go at it.

"Y'know," began Shego, smiling "we could just _order _you to surrender yourself to Sharak _right now_. I mean, you're outnumbered two to one, we can tell the Heartless to take this world whenever we give the word, you've got no hope of closing the keyhole now…and you've got no friends left."

"No," was all Hi-Jax said.

"What do you mean…'no'?"

"I said 'no'," smiled Hi-Jax, simply. "Why should I surrender, anyway? When I can just wipe out the Heartless, kick _both _your little asses, save this world and then rid the entire universe of Sharak and his filth once and all? Hm?"

"Big words, Mahanah's boy," remarked Shego. "Big words are what you'd expect from a big mouth. Ah, well…this way is so much more fun."

"Heartless…if you'd all be so kind," ordered Reflection, politely. The Soldiers then charged towards the keyhole. Hi-Jax roared as he summoned his swords, plunged them into the ground, sending giant pillars of light and darkness smashing towards the creatures. Once again, the hordes were obliterated in spectacular style. The attack also scattered Shego and Reflection, but the move had drained Hi-Jax's magic. A teleportation drained it further, but it had brought him where he wanted to be; next to one of the Heartless machines. Hi-Jax attacked the machine but the attempt was in vain. A barrier repelled the sword strike and thrust the anomaly to the ground.

"_Great_…" seethed the teenager in frustration. He then turned back to the keyhole. More Heartless had been created and were now dashing to feast on the heart of Middleton.

And Shego and Reflection were coming towards Hi-Jax. _Fast._

Teleporting again to avoid them, Hi-Jax quickly gave Ron an Elixir to bring him back to full health, then picked up the Kimmunicator (thankfully undamaged), and managed to switch it on.

"_Hi-Jax_?!" said Wade, confused and desperate, but happy to see him. _"What's going on?! Why did Kim…?!"_

"Elaborate set-up!" interrupted the teenager. "The real Kim's M.I.A.! Sorry, but I'm gonna have to change subject! Can you still override Drakken's computer?"

"_Yeah, but…!"_

"I _know!_ Listen to me, Wade! I don't care that the connection was terminated and you have to work your way through the counter-measures all over again! I need you to shut the whole thing down ASAP! I'll make sure you don't have any more interference this time!"

"Uhhhhh…" groaned Ron. "What…? Hi-Jax? What's going on? Where's Kim?! Is she…?!"

"Sorry, Ron, but I need you to keep the bad guys off me!"

"On it!" he cheered as he ran to engage Shego and Reflection. Hi-Jax followed Wade's instructions via the Kimmunicator (once more plugged into Drakken's computer). Quickly typing away on the keyboard, shutting down the defences to help Wade infiltrate the system, Hi-Jax soon managed to access the operations menu for the keyhole and Heartless production lines.

"How much longer?" asked Hi-Jax.

"_Almost got it!"_ replied Wade. _"What about the Heartless?!"_

The anomaly spun round to see a Soldier about to jump through the keyhole.

Instinctively reacting, Hi-Jax used the last of his magic to teleport to the keyhole and managed to cut off the Heartless by dicing it in two. The remains exploded into dark mist as Hi-Jax landed awkwardly on the floor. Dozens of Soldiers sprinted towards him.

Then…the keyhole closed, completely sealed. Hi-Jax, Ron, Shego and Reflection all turned to Drakken's computer to see the successfully entered commands typed over the screen.

SYSTEMS OVERRIDE.

KEYHOLE CLOSED.

HEARTLESS PRODUCTION LINES DEACTIVATED.

Sure enough, no more Heartless emerged.

Middleton had been saved.

"Alrrrigght!!!" celebrated Ron, raising his arm in victory. Then he turned to one side to see an enraged Shego about to incinerate him. And Reflection on the other side ready to pound him into the ground.

His smile instantly faded.

"Uh…HJ?"

"Coming!" yelled the anomaly as he tried to finish off the remaining Heartless as quickly as he could, knowing that the physical attacking would replenish his magic.

Ron narrowly avoided the destructive impact of the Reflection-minotaur's slamming fists. And only just managed to jump over Shego's energy flames.

"You'd better run, Stoppable!" taunted Shego as she chased after him, firing blast after blast. "After all, that's what you're _best _at!"

"You're too _kind_, Shego!" he smiled back, hoping to tick her off even more. She just growled and continued firing at him. Reflection then charged again at him.

"Hey, Toro-boy! Camille Leon is a wayyyyyyy better shape-shifter than you!"

"Peasant," was all Reflection said as he aimed to gore Ron right through his heart. The agent cart wheeled away from the charge, and then kicked the shape-shifter in the back of the knee. Ron had hoped the move would make the Reflection-minotaur stumble out of control and collide with Shego.

Reflection was taken by surprise, and did actually stumble, but he all too soon regained control and stopped himself from falling further. And then kicked out backwards, sending Ron flying across the engineering bay.

"The defining thing about the aristocracy, young scallywag," explained Reflection as he used his dark powers to fashion himself a massive spiked cudgel, preparing to finish off Ron, "is that they always possess such _poise_. Something that little ruffians such as yourself have no concept of."

"Take it from someone who has _lived _aristocracy, _pretender_."

Hi-Jax's punch staggered Reflection, actually knocking the creature off his feet and flat onto his backside. The shape-shifter looked up, his pride wounded, to see a smirking Hi-Jax looking down on him in _pity_.

"Only _posers _and _wannabes_ flaunt themselves in such a stereotypical, clichéd and _outdated_ manner _these _days."

"You stuck-up, little cad…" seethed Reflection, more than one nerve touched. He thrust up suddenly to his feet, his head hoping to connect with Hi-Jax's face. The anomaly safely backflipped away, his feet connect with the dark-minotaur's chin, staggering him again. Conjuring his swords again, Hi-Jax struck Reflection with mighty strikes again and again. Before sending him flying across the room, where he collided against one of Drakken's assembly lines. The impact actually broke the conveyor belt and sent some of Drakken's unfinished robots crashing on top of the shape-shifter.

Shego then decided to make her move, coming after Hi-Jax with a fast series of martial-arts kicks and punches. Hi-Jax sidestepped, ducked and blocked the offensive flurry. Then he responded with some offensive strikes of his own. All of which Shego sidestepped and deflected with her trademark plasma flares.

"You're looking a little _tired_, love," smiled Hi-Jax, though deep down, he was actually noting that Shego was very good indeed. "Why don't you just have a nice lie down?"

"You _first_, Mahanah's boy," grinned Shego in return, a small part of her actually enjoying this fight. "Save yourself a world of grief, lie down and let the boss take your data. Given how _slow_ you are, it's only natural you do so."

After some fast and furious exchanges between the two combatants, Hi-Jax and Shego leapt back away from one another to put some distance between themselves, then threw fireballs at one another. Both attacks cancelled each other out. His magic once again replenished to a healthy level, Hi-Jax teleported to get behind Shego for an attack. He'd underestimated her, though, and nearly paid for it when she instantly span round (having sensed him), hoping to take his head off with her flaming fist.

Hi-Jax only just managed to avoid the death strike and somersault away to a recovery position. And rather then question why Shego had tried to kill him when her orders were to bring him to Sharak _alive_, Hi-Jax instead decided to get the edge by talking, and looking into her heart.

"Why are you trying to be something you're _not_, Shego?"

Lowering her flaming hands, Shego replied with a raised eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Trying to take my head off when your boss wants me in one peace, not caring all that much whether your world lives or dies…_very un_characteristic of you."

"What are you babbling on about, Mr Bum Formerly Known As Prince?"

"Easy. You're not a killer. I know that much."

"You don't even know the first thing about me," dismissed the mercenary. "So don't even go there."

"You weren't all that fond of stealing that super-duper wheelchair of Felix Renton's, were you?" smirked Hi-Jax, knowing just which buttons to press. "And if all those cute, innocent little fishes went 'bye-bye' along with the rest of the world…you'd be heart-broken, wouldn't you?"

"Like I said, you don't…" Shego was trying hard not to let Hi-Jax's taunts get the better of her, but the anomaly was being very persistent.

"Oh, I think I do. You just don't want the world thinking you're soft. That's probably why you acted like a complete coward when you ran away from your family, shirking your responsibilities, because you're afraid of bullies that are even bigger than you. Like Drakken, hm? Like Sharak, maybe?"

"Seriously, Hi-Jax…" sneered Shego through grinding teeth, "I'd shut up right now."

"Following the fad, because you're scared of being a loner, or being alone, period," Hi-Jax continued to innocently remark. "Trying to be something you're not, too frightened to be who you _really_ are because Sharak'll turn you into a Heartless. I suppose that's no different than when Zorpox made you cry when he threatened to make you play with his pet shark in case you betrayed…"

Shego had had more than enough now. Screaming over the number of old wounds Hi-Jax had reopened, she furiously blasted away with everything she had. A confident Hi-Jax then teleported again out of the green inferno and then used a Reflega spell to send Shego's energy blasts back at her. Hi-Jax then finished the job with Thundaga magic and powerful sword strikes.

Shego failed to get back up to her feet. She looked at the anomaly with hatred over what he'd done to her, violating her privacy and now knowing things she felt were hers alone to know.

Hi-Jax then grabbed her, roughly picking her up off the floor and getting in her face. His expression was menacing, matching Shego's own animosity.

"Where's Kim?" he sneered, beginning to look deep into her heart once again. "What have you done with her?"

"GET - YOUR - HANDS - OFF - OF - ME!" she roared, her energy flares quickly building to a critical level. Hi-Jax realised what was going to happen next and released Shego. The massive green explosion propelled both Shego and Hi-Jax up several feet into the air. There was no time for Hi-Jax to shield himself so he got the brunt of the concussive explosion just as much as Shego did.

The mercenary landed hard, awkwardly and painfully. Hi-Jax on the other hand was intercepted by a series of savage hit-and-run attacks from the recovered Reflection, having now adopted the guise of a giant falcon. The sharp beak and talons cut through Hi-Jax's skin, causing him to bleed and cry out in pain. The falcon then painfully clutched Hi-Jax's shoulders, digging deep, before throwing his foe against Drakken's giant computer screen. The anomaly smashed violently against the glass before slipping out painfully and landing on the floor with a thud.

He looked up to see Reflection land and then began to assume a new form. The bizarre transformation began with the shape-shifter wrapping his arms around his torso, bending over and then rising as two more arms began to grow out of his sides. His legs next started to seize and then shudder uncontrollably, before a bizarre horse's body, complete with large whipping tail, supported Reflection's upper body. Finally, ram horns sprouted from the dark being's head to provide the finishing touch.

The bizarre monstrosity galloped towards Hi-Jax at top speed. The teenager quickly dodge-rolled away from the attempted stampeder but was unable to avoid the whipping tail that smacked him hard across the bay, where he collided against one of Drakken's assembly line.

Injured, Hi-Jax looked to see an Elixir bottle that had fallen out of his coat pocket. The anomaly knew he would self-heal but Reflection obviously wouldn't give him the chance. He needed his health and magic to be fully replenished immediately or defeat and assimilation would be the only things awaiting the anomaly's future.

Willing himself to make a dive for the bottle, Hi-Jax's fingers just touched the Elixir when Reflection's hoof slammed on top of his hand, smashing the bottle and nearly the teenager's hand as well. Hi-Jax's phenomenal strength saved his bones but the pain was still immense and the pressure started to increase as he contemptuously looked up to see the arrogant aristocrat looking at the teenager in disgust and pity.

"_Look _at you," snorted Reflection. "Look how you've fallen. Once a king, and now crawling on your belly in the dark like a foul-mouthed pig for desperate survival. One can only expect that from a sloth such as yourself."

"Look who's talking, lab rat," smirked Hi-Jax. "The Organization turned you into a freak, as well. And what are _you _doing to try and get back on top? Oh, yeah. You've thrown what lot you've got left into a cesspool with _other _no-hopers, being a glorified _errand _boy for the biggest vermin of them all. Kind of makes you an aristocratic hypocrite, doesn't it, 'Sir' Reflection?"

"How dare you, swine! Sharak is the greatest emperor of them all!"

"_Like…I…said…_" grinned the anomaly, tauntingly. Reflection responded by using his lower arms to wrap his hands round the teenager's neck, pick him up off the ground and throttle him.

"Do you know what I used to do before the Organization made me this way?" asked the creature, as he used his upper arms to beat Hi-Jax back and forth, whilst still throttling him. "One of my favourite hobbies was to hunt meaningless animals for sport. Normally, I'd have a jolly good chase, the prey would provide some small amusement and then I would put the animal out of his misery with the elegance of a shotgun."

Reflection continued to beat and throttle Hi-Jax for a few more seconds before releasing him, spinning round and kicking out backwards with his legs with such force. Hi-Jax again went flying into the air across the engineering bay. Before he could land though, Reflection had once again galloped at top speed and rammed the teenager's carcass in interception, battering him even further.

Approaching Hi-Jax's body on the ground as it lay almost lifeless, Reflection furthered, "I have actually enjoyed this sport today, Hi-Jax. Despite the odd annoyance and frustrating challenge. And normally this is where the hunt ends with a satisfying 'bang'. But a gentleman always honours his agreements. So as Sharak is cured, the new world order beckons and royalty shall accompany my impending lordship. And your head will make an excellent trophy when its mounted high on the wall in my drawing room."

At that point, Ron recovered to see Hi-Jax in trouble. Shocked and desperate to help, Ron concentrated as hard as could.

_Come on! Come onnnn!!!!_ He tried to will in frustration. _I could really use some Mystical Monkey Power right about now!_

Still nothing happened.

_Sensei…please help me…_

Meanwhile, Shego groaned back into consciousness. The sight of Reflection standing victorious over Hi-Jax's body angered her even more.

"Hey! I've got _serious _dibs on the smart-mouthed creep!"

"Sharak wants him _alive_ for now, my dear," reminded the shape shifter. "Once his purpose has been served…I've made reservations for the _remains_."

"Never heard of 'ladies first', 'smooth-talking creeps _last_', have you, Reflection?" Shego asked as she approached towards him, her temper flaring badly.

"Calm yourself, Shego. Victory is ours."

When all hope seemed lost, Ron quickly remembered something he had left in his pocket. The agent whistled to get his enemies' attention. They both turned to face him as he smiled, "Hey, Reflection! Why don't you turn into a dog so you can play _catch_?!"

With that, Ron threw something at the shape-shifter. Shego just stayed still. Reflection looked at the hurled object inquisitively as it came closer towards him.

"Ah, yes…" nodded the aristocrat. "One of those clever little contraptions you used against the Heartless earlier. You seek to send an electrical current circuiting between Shego and myself, ergo, resulting in our defeat. _Clever…_"

Shego just dismissively tossed an energy flare at the charge, completely incinerating it.

"…when it's used in _children's games!_" roared Reflection, absolutely insulted. "Did you _honestly _think such a PATHETIC strategy would work against people in _our _class?!"

"Totally, dude," smirked Ron, juggling an empty Elixir bottle in his right hand.

A shocked Reflection quickly turned round to see a fully healed and revitalised Hi-Jax shoot up to his feet, sword of light in hand, and stab the aristocrat right through the heart. Reflection screamed in complete agony, the light savagely ripping through his dark being, making his form shift rapidly from random guise to random guise. Creatures, beasts, Drakken, Kim; so many faces flashed before Hi-Jax.

Shego, absolutely astounded, just slowly backed away from the sight, as the shape-shifting aristocrat felt the pain of Hi-Jax's light cause him so much change.

Too much change, and too much pain came with it as a result.

Reflection's destruction seemed imminent. Both Ron and Shego shielded their eyes, whereas Hi-Jax just stared at the creature.

Who stared back, assuming Jaron's guise. Then Hi-Jax's…and finally Sharak's.

The last few face-changes made Hi-Jax's eyes narrow in anger. But then, he felt confused. And soon he felt surprised.

A huge bright flash followed…

And Reflection was still standing, back in his normal guise.

Everyone else was beyond shocked.

"How can you…?" began Hi-Jax.

"Still be standing?" interrupted the creature. "You've made me have a change of heart, dear boy. I am capable of _any _change. _Including _the kind that must be made to avert death. But the problem with change…is that…it can…rather…take a lot…out of you…"

Reflection collapsed to the floor. Shego rolled her eyes, muttered, "Oh, brother," then walked to help her comrade to his feet.

Hi-Jax and Ron then turned threateningly towards her.

"Save it, boys. It's time out session. Anyways, even if we didn't get you, Hi-Jax, we still have what we came for."

"Where's Kim?!" demanded Ron.

"The Princess is being put to good use now," smiled Shego. "You do the math."

Hi-Jax's eyes widened in shock.

_Sharak. Sharak's got her. But why? Why does he need HER? She…oh no…_

"COMPUTER!" yelled Shego. "CODE 598-XXX-666! ACTIVATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE!"

"ACKNOWLEDGED." boomed the computer's voice. "INITIATING SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE IN SIXTY SECONDS AND COUNTING…"

"Shego!" yelled Hi-Jax as he and Ron made a dive to try and stop her escape. Drakken's henchwoman smirked at them as she activated a device hidden in her belt buckle to teleport herself and the weakened Reflection back to Castle Oblivion.

"KIM!" wailed Ron.

"Ron, we've gotta go! Now!"

"But Kim…!"

"NOW!!!"

The anomaly then opened a gateway, grabbed Ron and the two fled from Drakken's self-destructing lair.

* * *

"No…Kim…" wept Mrs Possible, her face buried deep into the palms of her hands. Dr. Possible consoled his wife as best he could, kissing her head, hugging her tightly. All the while trying to deal with the pain of what had happened. 

"Kimmy-cub…" he whispered painfully to himself.

Hi-Jax, Ron and Wade were all there in the Possible house, assembled in the living room. Despair and pain were etched on all their faces.

"If Kim's lost in the stars," Ron assured the Possibles with renewed determination, "we're finding her."

"Ron…"

Ron turned to Hi-Jax. He immediately saw his angst at having to explain this to him again.

"_We're_ not. I already told you why not."

"And it still doesn't make sense!" he protested. "I'm her boyfriend! I have to…"

"Ron," interrupted Wade, deadly serious, "this hurts _all _of us. But I've cross-referenced Hi-Jax's story with current data and all time-paradox calculations and reality-destabilization theories _twenty _times! If we meddle in the affairs of _other _worlds…_everyone_ will be worse off."

Ron refused to let the gravity of Wade's words sink in. "So how come it's okay for _you_ to do stuff like this?!" he pointed angrily to Hi-Jax. The anomaly sighed as he tried to come up with an answer. What was the real reason? Because as someone who could go up against Sharak? Because he had received the proper authority from the Council of Light to travel to different worlds to battle the Heartless?

Hi-Jax knew that whatever answer he gave would not be the right one for Ron and Kim's parents.

Regardless, he replied with a deep, "Because rules and logic just don't apply when they come to me."

Ron stared angrily at Hi-Jax for a few moments. Then his anger faded away to be replaced by sadness and loneliness. As he turned away from the anomaly, Hi-Jax was about to say something to comfort him when Kim's father stepped into the conversation.

"Son…where is she? What's happening to our daughter?"

Hi-Jax turned to face Kim's parents. He wondered whether he should tell them what he knew. Kim's parents had always known of her crime-fighting activities and were thus prepared for whatever bad news would follow. But Sharak…he was something else entirely.

"Please," asked Mrs Possible, knowing hesitance in teenagers whenever she saw it. "Just tell us."

With that, the anomaly answered, "She's in a world called Castle Oblivion. My enemies want her to serve them given her talents."

"Then she's…going to be a slave?"

"Yes. I am sorry."

"You're sorry?!" asked an incredulous Dr. Possible.

"If you already know where she is, can't you…?" began Mrs Possible.

"No, he can't," interrupted Ron, remembering what Hi-Jax had said earlier. "This Sharak guy will be betting on HJ coming after him. Into another trap. Live bait to capture the ultimate prize; Hi-Jax's data to cure himself."

"I _can't _go there," Hi-Jax further explained regretfully, shaking his head. "Not yet. Not without a plan. And not until…"

"Until what?" interrupted Dr. Possible angrily. "Until you've wiped out all your enemies? Gone around to other worlds first and then work your way up to getting Kim back? Is she just something on your 'to do' list?!"

Kim's mother was starting to fall deep into depression.

Taking his shades off, Hi-Jax turned to Kim's mother.

"Mrs Possible…_look _at me."

Wiping away the tears, she looked Hi-Jax straight in the eye.

"I - WILL - find - her. I'll save her…and I'll bring her back to you. _All _of you," he sincerely added looking to Kim's father, Ron and Wade.

"I give you my _word_. Do you all _believe _me?"

A moment passed. Long, silent and full of anguish.

Ron then stepped in, closing his eyes and lowering his head in great sadness. He then exhaled all his negativity, looked back up at Hi-Jax with faith, determination and trust. Then he nodded, "I believe you, my friend."

Hi-Jax likewise nodded back with the same level of determination, faith and trust that Ron possessed. He then turned to Kim's parents, who likewise decided to put their faith and trust in Hi-Jax.

"I apologise for my temper, Mr Hi-Jax," said Kim's father, shaking the teenager's hand.

"It's understandable, doctor."

"Good luck," wished Kim's mother, smiling confidently at him.

"Hi-Jax," said Wade, "before you go, will you come with me? There's something I want you to check out."

"Lead the way, Wade."

The ten-year-old genius and Hi-Jax exited the room, Ron and Kim's parents following.

* * *

"Reflection?" 

"Greener than me," informed Shego. "He's in the lab trying to adjust to his 'change of heart'. Drakken's monitoring him."

"When Reflection regains consciousness, I want to know immediately," ordered Sharak. "And Hi-Jax?"

"I - OWE - him," seethed the mercenary, fiercely. "No one screws around with my head like that and gets away with it."

"The path that Xemnas has shown my prey was indeed designed to interfere with my agenda," remarked the contaminated darkness. "He'll keep showing up in my enterprises until our inevitable confrontation, where the Nobodies will be anticipating my destruction. Typical Organization strategising."

"He's proving effective so far as their weapon against you," pointed out Magica. "First he thwarted your partnership with Xanatos, now he has saved Middleton from being part of your collection."

"Those were only temporary setbacks," rebutted Sharak respectfully and calmly. "Though I would've liked to hit the jackpot in each of those ventures, at least I have obtained the mandatory consolation prizes. Which will secure my future successes. Still, Magica, you are also quite correct. Hi-Jax's power truly poses a problem. He has matured and focused greatly over the last twelve months. And his power will continue to develop to higher levels the more he progresses. Just like Sora."

"Vexen's experiment was well planned, indeed."

"True," admitted the fallen emperor, "but his plan depends purely on one thing that will either ensure its total success…or its complete failure."

"Which is?"

"On whether or not I will actually _let_ the exiled child conquer me. And the _answer_…is _no_."

The confident Sharak then turned his attention to where the unconscious Kim Possible lay before him.

"Now…wake her up."

Magica cast a revival spell on the fallen teenager. As Kim slowly stirred and groaned into full wakefulness, Sharak rose from his throne to gently hover towards her. The teenager, still on the floor, opened her eyes fully to survey her surroundings. A complete void, with nothing but a weird-looking throne, the Heartless emblem and the sight of Shego, clear as day, who just smirked at her, greeting her with a salute.

Kim then looked up to see the ominous figure staring down on her, outlined in fine, bright light, and armed with sinister, glowing red eyes.

"Kimberly Ann Possible," greeted Sharak, approvingly. "I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time."

Kim just raised an eyebrow at him.

"And you're supposed to be this 'Sharak' bozo Hi-Jax was on about, I take it?"

The next instant, Kim was struggling for air as Sharak's vice grip picked her up roughly off the floor and jerked her right into Sharak's face. The monster's eyes shifted into a sinister gaze. Kim's eyes quickly met his, and she realised that even though he didn't have a mouth, Sharak was smiling evilly.

And she knew that he knew…that she was becoming afraid.

"Yes, I am," the creature proudly introduced. "And you are now mine. Thanks to my chief scientist."

As Kim continued to choke, Sharak noticed the confusion on her face and innocently furthered, "Surprised that Drakken actually concocted the whole scheme to capture you? That he was the brains behind Reflection's successful impersonation? Don't be, Miss Possible. You yourself know that Drakken can have a great scheme every now and then. And now that his genius has been nurtured by my discipline…well, intelligence runs in your family, my dear. You can finish off the mathematics."

Sharak then released Kim. She landed with a thud before the monster's feet. Looking up to the creature's haunting presence, she cautiously backed away, trying to muster the strength to stand her ground. Shego and Magica just laughed, not even bothering to step in, knowing full well that Kim had no chance of fighting or escaping.

The inhuman roar then followed, startling Kim and making her look to the direction of the newcomer's call of arrival. Sharak looked to his new servant, the result of Project: Coldstone, in approval.

"Allow me to introduce to you the brother of your other side, Miss Possible," explained Sharak approvingly. "Science is truly a remarkable thing, especially when it comes to improving on originals. This is evident with _him_…as it will be with you. Or rather…your _successor_."

At that point, Kim instantly knew what Sharak had in mind for her. And the experiments were going to begin immediately.

And last for the full duration of all tears, pain, suffering and despair.

"Coldstone…take her to the doctor."

"At once, my lord."

* * *

The Castle That Never Was, home to Organization XIII. 

In the large discussion room, Xemnas sat all alone in his throne, the _highest_ throne. He had just finished righting the first chapter of his new report. And now he was collecting his thoughts. Sora and his companions were walking the path again. Maleficent had also returned, naturally seeking vengeance and conquest, sending her second-in-command, Pete, and the Heartless to do her bidding. Both parties were childishly simple to play. In their fighting, the Organization would profit while there enemies would be left with nothing except inevitable humiliation and ultimate demise.

_Such has been the way, such is the way…and such will always be the way,_ knew the Superior. _And outside the OFFICIAL story, Hi-Jax and Sharak's conflict will only add to our glory and rewards. Hi-Jax will try to ignore it as much as he can. That by continuing to break the rules and disturb the supposed continuity, he will only learn to hate himself and hate Sharak even more. Ridding us of the primitive beast once and for all…and finally making the anomaly accept that we control him. Onward then…to our future._

Xemnas' thoughts were then interrupted by a returning Luxord, who teleported into his throne.

"Sharak continues to compete with us by employing tactics similar to our own," reported the Gambler of Fate. "Betting on more than one table…and building quite a following as a result. Mismatched, certainly…but still a semblance of great entourage."

"That is to be expected," said Xemnas. "But our investment in Vexen's Hi-Jax project will pay off."

"Even though he is starting to turn our own kind against us?"

Xemnas stared at Luxord inquisitively.

"Continue."

"I confirm the reports, my Superior," No. 10 explained. "Sharak got to the newcomer before us. An _eager _better, to say for sure."

"Her name?"

"Ilxsa, the Darkest Exile."

"How apropos," nodded Xemnas in respect of both Sharak's strategy and flair. "The one thing I _will _say for our opposition…is that he knows how to change. It is a trait that has made him exceedingly difficult for us to successfully eliminate."

"Some interesting news _does_ come to the table, though, Xemnas," revealed Luxord. "Vexen and Larxene…have somehow returned."

Understanding the news perfectly, Xemnas just smiled in 'satisfaction', "I see."

* * *

**_Please let me know what you think_**

**_D.C. Wood (19/11/07)_**


	10. Chapter 10: Meet the Incredibles

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 10: Meet the Incredibles_**

Hades chuckled and grinned as he surveyed the strategy table in his chamber, becoming more and more excited by the minute. Sure, Pete had taken off in true, cowardly fashion after Sora had emerged victorious but as he had gleefully told himself again and again, "So _what_?" Thanks to his 'Nutmeg' bait, the 'suckers' had unlocked the Underdrome for him. The Hydra had succeeded in demolishing the Coliseum upstairs, making Hades' arena the _only _game in town. And his still-secure relationship with Maleficent had increased his Heartless collection, meaning the God of the Underworld could continue to wear down Hercules.

Hades removed the Heartless chess pieces from the table and tossed them to one side, not even caring Zeus' son had once again survived an ambush. He took great pride in noting how badly chipped and cracked the Hercules statue was. He was getting tired and on the road to becoming a true zero. He couldn't keep going much longer, and once the Hades Cup was up-and-running, no more obstacles and Olympus would at long last be his.

And as for Sora, Donald and Goofy…well, Auron would see to that. At first, Hades had been infuriated that the dishonoured warrior had tried to rebel and escape, but was later in hysterics over how Auron had rediscovered that Hades _owned _him. And could never leave his services until Hades said his contract was finished.

Which would probably be _never._

Hades returned to his throne and relaxed happily. He snapped his fingers, and a table appeared by his side. On it, was a black cocktail and a bowl of live worms. Taking his glass, the Underworld's lord first sucked the straw whole into his mouth in bliss. After he had digested it, he put the glass back down on the table and had just rolled his tongue out to drop a fat, juicy worm onto it when suddenly…

"Um…boss?" asked Panic, very sheepishly.

Hades sighed in annoyance, then turned to face his minions, his snack still dangling and wriggling in his clutches.

"Guys…I have had a _great _day today. So keep in mind _this _before you tell me what you've come to tell me: if it's _bad_, you're _fired_. And I'm _not _talking about employment."

"Well…she _says _it's not bad," explained Pain.

"She, huh?" said Hades, now taking a keen interest as he conjured up a comb to tidy his flaming hair. "What's she like then? Tall, young, attractive? Elegantly luscious? Or just some sweet, lovely sorrow who's become desperate for a desperado?"

"We…couldn't quite tell," began Panic, not sure as to how to explain it. He looked to Pain, gesturing his head at his cohort in a '_you_ tell him' meaning. Pain's eyes said back 'oh, sure! Put _me_ on the spot!', but then he saw Hades looking down on them impatiently, so he decided to get to the point.

"Y'see, she's wearing a black coat."

The news made Hades turn a brief, but fiery shade of red. Seething angrily, he rose from his throne, angrily knocking over his cocktail and bowl of worms. Pain and Panic then clung to one another tightly, both fearing over what Hades was now going to do to them.

"Guys…" the god began slowly, his hands gradually beginning to burn, "I told you a _thousand_ times that I don't like those Organization freaks. Especially when they _trespass_ on _my _private property, _waltzing _in as if they _own_ the place! Granted, I really enjoyed seeing them run after I chased after 'em with a shotgun, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT! I _hate_ uninvited hoodies! And I TOLD you that if news was bad…!"

Hades was now angered and red. And ready to unleash great balls of fire on his hapless minions, still hugging, crying and screaming.

"I apologise for arriving on your domain uninvited, Lord Hades."

The god's red hot rage faded away instantly as soon as the Nobody walked into the chamber. Pain and Panic let go of each other, both sighing in total relief.

"Rest assured, I am not with Organization XIII," explained Ilxsa, viewing it necessary to be formal and to get to the point. "Like you, we do not wish to let these miscreants continue disrupting our agenda. We wish to triumph. As do you. Which is why we desire to talk business with you."

"Business, eh?" remarked Hades, raising a curious eyebrow. "Well, you get good grades for guts, kid. But I think you should know that my last alliance, though convenient, didn't quite pan out like it was _supposed_ to."

"We are different from Maleficent and Pete, my lord," the Darkest Exile furthered, knowing that she had secured Hades' attention now, and her next words would seal the business relationship. Depending on whether the Underworld's ruler was one of the few. "My name is Ilxsa. I am second only to the Heartless' father."

Hades' eyes widened in surprise. Ilxsa's pause allowed a pleased smile of remembrance spread across his face.

"He still speaks very highly of you," the Nobody persisted, somewhat unemotionally.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, little missy?" chuckled Hades, wrapping his arm round her shoulders in a welcoming way. "I was _hoping _the big 'S' hadn't forgotten my phone number."

* * *

"Here I am. 

The latest world on the road laid out by Xemnas for me. _Another _city, _third _one in a row since leaving _Ruination City_. And now I'm wondering what it is about me and cities. Is it Xemnas' way of labelling me a no-good street punk? How _fitting_…coming from cryptic lowlifes.

Ah, well…this one's called 'Metroville'. Not much to say here, except that it's naturally 'similar, but different' to Manhattan and Middleton. And that a city is a city…

Anyway, that's enough sightseeing. I've got work to do. Sharak's doubtless targeted this world to further his growing empire. Heartless will run amuck here, allied with whoever this world's number-one bad guy is. But whether it's taking the world's heart or recruiting talent makes no difference to me. It's the same old story. Sharak feels he can do whatever he likes and it's up to me to show him he can't.

Just like Organization XIII want me to.

But I'm doing this for myself, not for them. Once Sharak's out of the way, I'm so coming for them.

Hopefully I'll soon have that _other_ mess sorted out as well.

I don't know what's going on with me. Why am I seeing Vexen and Larxene all the time? Nightmares were bad enough but these…hallucinations are just torture. They're both _dead_, for crying out loud. So what's the deal?

Did I hate them _so _much for what they did to me that I want to spend the rest of my life hating them? Perhaps even more than _Sharak?_

Sometimes the acceptance of being half-dark, _revelling _in it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

And then…there's my friends.

God…I miss Sora, Donald and Goofy. I miss Jaron, I miss Kairi…I want to find them all. I want to reunite with them…and it eats away at me. The knowledge that _I _can't. Because I risk screwing everything up just like Sharak did, and like he threatens to do here and now. DiZ's words repeat themselves in my head, making me sick all over again.

So I think I'd better start thinking of Kim.

I'm going to find her. I promised her family I would. And I _always_ keep my promises.

Besides which, Kim's a friend. _My _friend. One of the few, one of the bravest and truest I've managed to gain…I've lost everything to Sharak and the Organization's selfishness. I'm _not _going to lose her too.

And I'm going to find out what the big deal is regarding Ilxsa.

Ilxsa…who _is _she? She says she's my friend…so why's she Sharak's second-in-command? Where did he find her? And how?

I want to run into her again sooner instead of later. I'm _past _sick and tired of all these games. If I don't get answers and happiness soon, someone is seriously going to pay.

Sounds harsh, sounds vindictive…sounds very uncharacteristic of Adam.

But Adam is dead. And Hi-Jax is here to stay. Caught in-between light and darkness and maintaining the balance of opposites. And ensuring justice and vengeance is brought against those who revel and profit in the suffering of others.

Time to go to work.

End of log."

There was a long silence.

"_Whoa, man. That's deep. And kinda disturbed. No offence."_

"None taken, Wade," replied Hi-Jax, conferring with the genius, his image now displayed on the screen of the anomaly's new pocket computer/communicator. Wade had provided him the spare gadget (modelled on Kim's Kimmunicator) and befitted it with all kinds of useful tool and accessory programs as a means to be a useful contact, aid and confidante so Hi-Jax wouldn't be so alone all the time anymore. Monitoring his progress throughout the different worlds, chronicling his travels…and offering emotional support whenever needed. Hi-Jax appreciated the gesture, and Wade's skills could only be a positive boon for his quest.

"_So what do you think of your new Hi-Jax-Frequency-Monitor, then?" _Wade proudly asked. _"Cool, huh?"_

"Database on all the worlds, characters, Heartless, Nobodies I encounter, which updates itself. List of objectives, own diary recording program, direct link to you and your computer at all times, can interface with any computer I encounter, allsorts of handy programs, built in web-cam…there's only one thing about this gizmo I honestly could do without, Wade."

Wade raised a surprised eyebrow at Hi-Jax.

"Did you really have to give it such a _stupid_, _gimmicky_ name like 'my H.J.F.M.'?"

"_Are you kidding, HJ?!" _laughed the computer genius. _"It rules! Surely you can appreciate art? A personal touch?"_

"Whatever," smiled the anomaly, who deep down admired that part of Kim's life, even though he didn't think it suited himself.

"_So…what's it like out there?"_

"Peaceful. Last two worlds were basically a war zone when I arrived. But here in Metroville…seems nice, quiet and boring. For now. I'll scout around, anyways. If Sharak decides to pop-up here, I'd best stick around for the sake of insurance."

"_Anything particular you want me to do?"_

"Any luck in getting back inside Sharak's computer?"

"_Not a chance," _sighed Wade, after slurping another soda. _"You know why it was so easy for me to do so last time, don't you?"_

"Yeah…" sighed Hi-Jax painfully. "Because Drakken _let _us. As more bait to reel me and Kim into that trap."

The eighteen-year-old then shook his head, ridding himself of his anguish and getting back to the mission at hand.

"Keep trying to get into his computer, anyway. Full details of Sharak's operations will give me the edge. Same goes for the Organization's computer."

"_I'm still having trouble FINDING it,"_ confessed Wade, taking a bite out of his pizza as he continued typing whilst talking to the anomaly. _"I've been surfin' the whole world wide web for hours trying to locate their network and nothing's come up. Are you sure they even HAVE one?"_

"I'd bet on it," nodded Hi-Jax, as he looked toward the view of the city, lost in his thoughts. "And with my telepathy neutralised against those bozos, hacking into their database is the only way I can find out what they're up to. At least for now"

Turning back to his H.J.F.M., the anomaly finished, "Keep working, mate. I'll see what comes up here. If anything major turns up, let me know. And vice-versa. Otherwise, I'll talk to you later tonight, okay?"

"_Likewise, dude," _replied Wade, giving Hi-Jax a thumbs-up before returning to his multi-tasking. _"See ya at check-in. Good luck and watch your back."_

"You too, pal," nodded the teenager as he closed the video-link program and then shut down his H.J.F.M. Putting it back in his coat pocket, the exiled adventurer walked down the street, once again noting how unusually quiet and peaceful this new city was.

_No disaster, no problems…just ordinary Joe Public living out their lives. It's like there's no such thing as villains here…or HEROES for that matter._

Although Hi-Jax did find this world a nice peaceful change from the ones he'd been to so far, he also felt…bored. Like this world was bordering on being monotonous, like it was just regular, real-life. And it felt very odd to the anomaly. As though this world could have been something special in every sense.

An hour later of wandering, Hi-Jax ended up in the city's park. Although part of him yearned for action and development, another part felt relieved. Given the choice of Ruination City or Metroville, Hi-Jax would've instantly gone for the latter. It was pleasing to see the majority being happy and taking life for granted. All these families, people jogging, playing soccer, walking the dog…simple good stuff, _little things_, that made life precious.

As Hi-Jax threw some stones into the park's lake, he took some enjoyment in watching them skim a couple of times across the water's surface. He was all on his own, no one else was around at the moment. Reflecting on his thoughts, he wondered which he wanted more. A nice, simple boring life…or an exciting one filled with never-ending war and questions.

The anomaly then smirked and chuckled over his answer.

_Both._ _'Cause they're both necessary for balance._

He soon stopped skimming stones and sat down on the edge of the bank, looking out to the nice sunset, appreciating the calmness and the whole 'time-out' session.

But as life in Ruination City had taught him…

'Time-outs' don't last very long.

The sound of a penny dropping into the water startled Hi-Jax.

His heart knew instantly who it was who had joined him.

And again…his senses weren't lying.

He looked up evilly to the person standing beside him.

"Penny for your thoughts, little freak?" asked Larxene, sweetly. "Y'know…I _loathe_ that cliché. _Almost _as much as I loathe you."

"You're _dead_, princess," snorted Hi-Jax, tired of these…hallucinations. "You're not real. So don't even try to be."

"Not real, huh?" remarked the Savage Nymph, somewhat disappointed as she sulked and stroked her chin in contemplation. "Well…the only real way to find out if that's true is this. Pain is truth, and ergo, truth is real. Soooo…"

Her knives came into her grasp, heralded by the element of thunder. Larxene aimed right for Hi-Jax's eye. The swipe narrowly missed it and his shades, but as Hi-Jax rolled away defensively, the blades slashed his cheek. The cuts made him cry in pain, and they absolutely stung. Hi-Jax held his hand over his cheek, seething in agony. He looked up to his demon, who had her arms folded and smiled down on him.

"Wake up, _loser_. If I wasn't real, how come that hurts almost as much as me removing that accident of a life of yours? _Hm_?"

Hi-Jax didn't know what to think anymore. What was going on? _Was _this real or _wasn't _it?

"Scares you, doesn't it?" taunted Larxene as she bent over, hands on thighs to look down on Hi-Jax in condescending fashion. "Always knew you were much more of a coward than _him_."

Hi-Jax angrily shot up to strike the Organization's deceased No.12, who just smiled, dodged and kicked the anomaly hard in the solar plexus. The impact sent him into the lake, where instead of landing like a wet fool, he landed hard and skidded across a service of thick, slippery ice.

He looked up to see Vexen now standing besides Larxene.

Hi-Jax's healing powers had now regenerated the knife slashes on his cheek. He initially struggled to stand to face them but soon gained strong footing.

"Acknowledge," commanded the Chilly Academic, simply.

Hi-Jax didn't care what 'Vexen' meant by that. He'd had more than enough of this.

"_Drop…dead,"_ he replied slowly and menacingly.

"I'm afraid we already have done, my dear boy," chuckled No.4, almost affectionately. "And it wasn't by _your _hand."

"Shut up," threatened the anomaly, venomously.

"Or _what?_" cackled Larxene cruelly. "Are you gonna _make _us? You had your chance and you _blew _it. Just like you blew everything else."

"SHUT UP!" roared the teenager, brandishing his swords of light and dark, hoping to carve both the Nobodies in two. Vexen and Larxene just turned transparent and Hi-Jax passed harmlessly through them. Enraged and not caring that some civilians were passing by and had stopped to look in shock at him, wielding such frightening power and hacking away at thin air.

"Why won't you Organization scum leave me alone?!" yelled Hi-Jax, still slashing at the transparent forms of Vexen and Larxene. He wasn't doing them any harm, but his fury had blinded him.

"Awwwww…." mocked the Savage Nymph, feigning sympathy, "poor baby! Is little Mahanah gonna cry like the rest of the family?"

"Not as much as I made YOU cry, b…!"

"You've become quite the rebel, Hi-Jax," confessed the Chilly Academic, nodding in approval. Then he shook is head in disappointment. "But you remain a fool. You've become _obsessed _with getting the final word, the final blow in. Just like my Riku. And you're falling down the same pit as he was, aren't you? No wonder you're dragging down all those you've recently befriended with you. You've become a slave to the imbalance of justice."

"I'm a slave to _nothing _and _no-one_!" denied the anomaly

"Your word against ours, pipsqueak," smirked Larxene. "And the proof…well, _you _should know. _You _made it."

Hi-Jax heard the screams across the street. At first, he saw the bewildered crowd just stare at him. He didn't care if he'd made a fool of himself yet again. He didn't care if people started to yell that he was a 'super', 'freak' and 'public menace'. And he didn't care that people were shouting for the police to arrest the 'outlawed hazard'.

He just concentrated on the screams a few kilometres away.

Flying ahead, he had no time to discover/deduce what these people were shouting about. He'd forgotten all about Vexen and Larxene. He just knew that trouble had finally walked round the corner.

The site was one he didn't want to see.

"Oh, no."

Dusks.

_Dozens_.

Some dancing, some flailing their limbs wildly, some contorting and spinning their bodies, but most chasing and attacking innocent people.

And Hi-Jax knew in his heart that he wasn't fantasising this time.

This was deadly real.

The creatures' running amuck was backed up by a crowd chorus of "The aliens have landed! Run for your lives!", amongst other extreme and common expressions of panic.

A Dusk turned its attention to a pedestrian just staring out to nowhere, not even caring what was going on.

It didn't matter to him that he was in the middle of a war zone…

It didn't matter that the Nobody was now coming right for him, to kill.

To the suicidal pedestrian…_nothing _mattered anymore.

Something snapped him to attention, though.

Hi-Jax's sword strike destroyed the attacking Dusk, and the Anomaly soon turned and flew him to safety. When they landed, Hi-Jax yelled desperately and urgently, "Get away from here!"

The civilian just stared at him for a few seconds. Then his bewilderment was replaced by anger and annoyance.

He then slapped the teenager. Right in the face.

Hi-Jax couldn't believe it! The 'physicality' of the slap was _nothing_ to him at all. But the _meaning_ of it was the _last _thing he expected.

"Who asked you to save me, you rude, crazy freak?!" yelled the citizen, angrily.

Hi-Jax didn't even think about what he was going to do next.

He just did it.

"UP YOURS, INGRATE!" he bellowed, removing his shades to reveal his eyes, both emitting bright light (crackling like electricity) and horrible darkness (trailing like black smoke). The sight was both unnatural and frightening.

And it made the civilian stumble backwards in fright, yelling "Please don't kill me!" as he soon picked himself up off the ground and ran away from Hi-Jax in terror. The power in the anomaly's eyes faded and returned to normal as he put his shades back on.

Shaking his head at stupidity and craziness of the man he just saved, Hi-Jax muttered, "Oh, _good_. I've steered a backwards man away from suicide and back to his good old cringe-wimp life."

Turning back to the battle, Hi-Jax finished with a comment befitting for the pedestrian.

"What a _moron_."

A powerful Thundaga spell fried a few Dusks on the spot. He then held his swords together, charged his power and unleashed dark and light fireballs that sought out more Dusks and destroyed them.

Two more appeared behind Hi-Jax, poised to strike. The anomaly just teleported behind them and sliced them both in two with one swift sword strike.

More Nobodies rose from the ground to replace the ones that had fallen. And they all charged together at Hi-Jax. He kicked and punched and slashed and swatted away at the swarm of Dusks. And the more that fell, the more came to take their place.

And soon…the numbers became overwhelming.

Even for an anomaly like Hi-Jax.

They clawed him, slashed him, bit deep into his body and took chunks out of his flesh. He felt pain, anger and a sense of urgency that overwhelmed him.

Along with the fact that the Organization, their mindless minions and insidious machinations would continue to haunt him. His dreams and every waking moment.

This truth repeated in his head again and again. After the Dusks all pounced on him, piling on top of him.

_Burying _him.

In the despair of nothingness, Hi-Jax heard the taunts again.

"Inevitability will defeat you," pointed out Vexen. "It always does…"

"Pitiful _toy_," finished Larxene.

The exiled teenager seethed in rage, rebelling against the crushing weight.

"Why - won't - you - all - just…DIE?!" he roared, his screams travelling across the city's skies as the 'Dusk pile' erupted in a beam of light, pillars of darkness sending the Nobodies into extinction.

Then there was silence. Deep, unholy, _blissful _silence.

The civilians had all fled for their lives. Motorists had just abandoned their vehicles and ran away from the chaos, shouting things like "The supers have returned!", "I _told _you they were menaces!", "He _saved _us!" and "Just run!". But one family _hadn't _gotten out of their car and ran. They were just passing through the city to get home after the mother had picked her two children up from school. The Nobodies' attack had caused a huge traffic jam, and as the mother looked out her window to see what all the commotion, she saw something that went _past_ amazing.

Even to one such as her.

Hi-Jax's power, the way he fought and handled himself…it was immediately obvious what he was. To her, anyway.

The wide-eyed kids couldn't believe what they had seen. The teenage daughter (a couple of years younger than Hi-Jax) was in shock. Her younger brother was absolutely amazed, and he wasn't afraid to show it.

"THAT guy is unbearably cool!" he yelled out loud. Before he could exclaim any more appreciation, his sister thrust her hand over his mouth.

"_Shut up_, you little creep!" she scolded, whispering fiercely. "Do you want to get us all _killed_?!"

"Kids, be quiet and keep your heads down!" ordered the mother in a urgent, hushed tone. "Stay here and _whatever _you do, _don't _get out of the car."

She slowly opened her door and got out. Maintaining a low profile, crouched position, she carefully advanced towards the anomaly. Deep down, she wondered why. He could be an enemy, one that would kill her in a second. So she would try to stop him before he caused any more damage. But if he was a friend, the logical thing to do was to try and help him escape before the police arrived. But again, she asked herself why?

This wasn't who she was. Not _anymore_.

Hi-Jax was tired and on his knees. His powers would automatically and gradually heal his injuries. An elixir would boost the process instantly. But he just felt tired, felt like a rest to gather himself and his thoughts. _Why _was this happening to him? Again, he reminded himself of the obvious. Vexen and Larxene had been _dead_ for a whole _year_. Nobodies could never return from the oblivion whence they came. It was a written law of physics and impossible to defy. He _must _have been hallucinating again, but he would've been able to _tell_. His senses never lied, that was how the experiment had designed him.

It was _real _to _him_.

The slash wound inflicted by Larxene had been true pain. But Vexen's ice attack in Middleton…that had been real also. _But_…he remembered the traces of Blizzaga magic after his 'appearance'. They had been Hi-Jax's own.

Was he bringing these hallucinations on _himself_? And was he destroying his surroundings just by doing so?

_If that's true, _he thought worryingly, _then that would mean that the Dusks attacking this world…were created by…ME._

As he started to panic over what he was becoming, Hi-Jax fought to maintain control and calm over himself. Then he started to notice that so many people had fled. All except three strong hearts…all _special_, similar to Shego.

_Supers_. _Two of them children, in a car nearby. And another one, an adult approaching me._

Hi-Jax slowly turned to see the woman. The second he did, though…a Dusk materialized, spinning towards her at terrifying velocity.

"LOOK OUT!" he screamed, warningly at the mother. She turned to see the Nobody in shock and, reasserting her focus, was about to defend herself when Hi-Jax teleported right in front of her, taking the blow intended for her.

The Dusk's arms went right through his heart, making the daughter scream in fright. The son didn't think _this _was cool anymore.

And the mother was amazed and impressed by the teenager's courage, who had sacrificed himself willingly to _save her_.

The compassion warmed her heart…and what happened next was even more incredible.

Hi-Jax just seethed in pain as he sent his fist smashing through the Dusk's head, making it explode back into nothing. He then held his hand over his injured heart and willed himself to recover fully.

He then turned back to the mother and said painfully, "Sorry…you and your kids…had to see this, ma'am. Don't worry about this…just a…scratch…"

With that, he collapsed to the ground, succumbing to the blissful unconsciousness that awaited him.

The mother had experience in these kind of situations and knew what he meant. Carefully turning the boy over, she felt oddly relieved to discover that where there should have been chest wounds, there weren't. They had healed.

And the battle had taken so much out of him. They were many more injuries to regenerate.

At that point, the mother was now _more than sure_ knew who and what kind of person the teenager was.

He was a fellow soldier.

Then came the sirens. The mother had already decided what to do. And the impending police had justified her choice.

* * *

"_Hi-Jax…you're creating your own story…a respectable coping mechanism, indeed."_

"_DiZ? Where are you?"_

"_You MUST remain careful. Organization XIII gave you the pen and paper. They will edit what you write to suit them."_

"_Enough with the metaphors, mummy-head. Now answer my question."_

"_Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ever the direct one. But seeing how you asked SO nicely. I am on the move. They found me."_

"_Has Sora awakened?"_

"_Yes. And his heart remains as strong as ever."_

"_Is Riku with you? Naminé?"_

"_Riku is. Naminé I am not sure about."_

"_Meaning?"_

"_There's your incentive to finish the story. And write the ending properly."_

"_I'm tired of not getting all the answers when I want them, DiZ. Tell me NOW."_

"_No one always gets what they want WHEN they want, Hi-Jax. It is the law decreed by the way of things. As is the fact that not everyone is willing to oblige orders from the likes of you."_

"_I want the truth. Is that really too much to ask? Are you THAT selfish, that stubborn, that you refuse to just do so?"_

"………_Do you still choose to TRUST me?"_

"………"

"_So you ARE letting the Organization control you. That is sad."_

"_Why aren't you guiding me away from their influence, then?"_

"_I explained to you the consequences of the Imbalance of Reality, my truce with Organization XIII, the depletion of their ranks and up-to-date status of your friends. I have provided you with incentive to carry on, advised you to maintain caution, encouraged you and provided you with free will and choice. I would think that more than qualifies as guidance, don't you?"_

"_I NEED more, DiZ. I've been fighting in different worlds over the last few weeks and the only real progress I've made is more questions with no answers."_

"_Hi-Jax, Sharak has become desperate. His disease has made him vulnerable and more dangerous than ever. His usurping of Castle Oblivion, his new allegiances, his mastery over light, his change of philosophy…his very desire to cure himself has made him more determined than ever before to see everyone and everything submit to his will. You have discovered much. Ergo, you should know that in time you will discover more."_

"………"

"_Very well, then."_

"_Before you go…one last thing. Once a Nobody dies, he/she/it can NEVER come back."_

"_Retrace your steps. REMEMBER what THEY told you. You have deduced much, Hi-Jax. You will figure out the rest."_

"_DiZ…I still choose to trust you. And…I choose to thank you."_

"_The choice is ALWAYS yours, son of Mahanah. And no matter what happens…you must be prepared to LIVE with that choice. Be it right or wrong."_

Hi-Jax slowly opened his eyes. He sat up out of the bed, yawned and stretched his arms outward, grunting a little to shake off the last bits of lingering pain from his now healed injuries. He then placed his hand over his chest. His heart had healed. It was strong and able to endure anything, even the curse of Nobodies.

_DiZ? When will we next speak? _he wondered. _I'd…appreciate it._

* * *

The anomaly looked around him. It wasn't much to shout about. Just a spare bedroom in someone's house. Though granted, it was very neat and tidy, very clean and fresh…and very welcoming. 

He noticed a spare change of clothes draped over the chair in the corner of the room. And a cup of tea on the bedside table for him. Hi-Jax knew that the family he'd saved had taken him back to their house to provide sanctuary, obviously as their way of saying 'thank you'. And he said 'you're welcome' by taking the cup and started drinking the beverage. It instantly made him feel better. He hadn't forgotten that backwards man he'd saved, the cruel life of Ruination City, being subjected to Vexen's twisted experiments, forced to live in exile away from his friends in lost confusion…

And being taken in by kind strangers…made him feel better about the state of the world. Sanctuary and security took the teenager back to the days of Castle Mahanah. It took him back to the days of his happiness.

_Hope, _he smiled after taking a sip from his tea. _Just as I knew_.

Then the door slowly opened. The mother peeked to see Hi-Jax looking up to her. She then smiled and entered the room.

"Hey, you're awake," she greeted cheerfully, sitting on the end of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," the eighteen-year-old nodded respectfully. "Thank you."

"My name's Helen," she offered her hand. "Helen Parr. Thanks for pullin' our fat out of the fire."

"No problem," he nodded graciously as he accepted the hand.

"You got a name, kid?"

The former Adam paused for a moment, wondering how best to explain his situation to Helen.

"I did _once_. Long ago. Now I am just…Hi-Jax."

Helen raised an intrigued eyebrow, yet still possessed her smile.

"Hi-Jax, huh? Not around from these parts, I take it?"

"You could say that. Speaking of which, what was up with the crowd? I know it's customary for people to panic in situations like that, but the way they spoke, the way they behaved…it was like they'd never seen heroes and villains before."

"Oh, they have…" nodded Helen, in not-so-fond remembrance. "It's the old, clichéd, long story time."

Helen confirmed Hi-Jax's suspicions. She had once been a full-time superhero fifteen years prior. There had been a great community of super heroes and heroines that the public looked up to and trusted. She had been forced into early retirement and hiding underground along with everyone else when her husband Bob (A.K.A. Mr Incredible) had thwarted a suicide attempt, thus resulting in a damaging lawsuit. More lawsuits soon followed and all supers became outlawed by the world government. The National Supers Agency (N.S.A.), though, had successfully obtained amnesty for all supers so long as they remained hidden.

Since then, Bob and Helen had settled down into normal civilian life and raised a family with three children, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Helen had become a homemaker, happy and settled with a normal life. Her husband Bob on the other hand, had become an office worker to support his family, and had become bored and unhappy with his fall from grace, yet still appreciated his family.

Hi-Jax thought it quite a story, and couldn't believe the nature of this world's people. "Since when did saving someone's _life_ become a crime?" he'd asked Helen, who just shrugged, not understanding it herself. She admitted she'd enjoyed her career as 'Elastigirl' but was thankful for having a shot at a normal life.

"So…where are you from?" Helen asked.

Hi-Jax sighed painfully before he replied.

"I don't have a home. I _lost_ it," he explained sadly. "My friends, family…_everything. _I'm on a secret mission to save the world. 'Cause…that's all I've got left."

Helen could feel the pain and strength in his voice. And felt such sympathy for him. Hi-Jax could feel it in her heart and smiled.

"It's okay. I don't need charity, but thank you for offering."

"I kinda see it as helping a fellow trooper," she smiled warmly. "You saved the city from those…_whatever_. You took a mortal wound for me. I think that more than earns you a free meal and a bed for the night. Wadda ya say to meeting the family? It'll be fun."

"I'd like that, Helen. Cheers."

* * *

Later that night, Hi-Jax sat with all five members of the Parr family eating dinner. And he liked them all instantly. The father, Bob, clearly wasn't happy with his job and had had yet another bad day. He missed being a hero, and loved the thrill of it perhaps more than anything else. He was a big guy, with short-blonde hair, obviously strong-looking but had really let himself go since his forced retirement. When he had been introduced to Hi-Jax, he was proud, happy and excited to meet another hero, wanting to know all about his adventures, confessing his admiration and respect for the adolescent's powers and praising his bravery and freedom. 

Then when Helen had told him to put a lid on it, Bob fell quiet, annoyed and depressed. He really didn't want to leave the subject alone.

The children were friendly and lovable in Hi-Jax's eyes. The baby, Jack-Jack, warmed to him instantly, laughing and smiling instantly. Curiously, he didn't have any powers whatsoever. Which was more than could be said for the other kids.

Dashiell Robert Parr (or rather 'Dash' for short) was small with short, blonde-hair. He took after his father in many ways. He loved his powers and wanted to be the best. Naturally a show-off, hot-headed, cocky, reckless, mischievous and easily excitable. He had been the most impressed with Hi-Jax and was showing off his speed to him again and again before dinner. The anomaly liked him and was flattered by the way Dash looked up to him as an idol, even though he felt that he wasn't the best person to be a role model.

The oldest child, Violet, was a different story. Although friendly enough and welcoming, she was also very shy and gloomy. She kept to herself quite a lot by hiding behind her long hair and didn't seem as though she wanted her powers. Hi-Jax had already known that she possessed some when he sensed her heart's presence and she hadn't displayed them. Choosing to respect her privacy, Hi-Jax left Violet alone by not asking exactly what her powers were.

The atmosphere at the table was quiet. There was no conversation whatsoever and Hi-Jax could instantly tell that there were problems. Bob, Dash and Violet obviously weren't happy, and Helen seemed oblivious to it. She was just feeding Jack-Jack a bowl of mush. Well…_trying_ to was more like it. He didn't quite seem to understand what was going on, as his mother made faces to try and get Jack-Jack to eat his dinner and appreciate how nice it was.

Jack-Jack just smiled and giggled with messy baby food dripping from his mouth. Helen continued to smile and make faces as she carried on with her attempts to feed him.

Hi-Jax likewise smiled, finding it all heart-warming. The little things that made families so precious.

The home-cooking had instantly made him forget his troubles. He honestly hadn't had food this good for months. Past meals from Ruination City life were bitter, rotten and mostly horrible. It had been food for survival and nothing more. Here in this warm household, the food was full of taste, satisfaction, pleasure and (as corny as it sounded) heart.

It was 'leftover night', meaning a choice of steak, vegetables, pasta, meatloaf, salad and lasagne. Everyone could choose for themselves. Hi-Jax helped himself to a little of everything, surprised at how hungry he really was. He thanked Helen again and again and praised her cooking, really enjoying it. And that surprised him even more. Having grown accustomed to such a dark, lonely life, Hi-Jax felt like his old-self again.

Warm, kind-hearted, very outgoing Adam.

And that surprised him. Although Hi-Jax was not at all without compassion and friendship, the Organization and Sharak had changed him forever. His interactions with the gargoyles and Kim Possible hadn't altered his personality and had no chance of doing so, but with the Parr family…he felt such a different kind of connection with their hearts.

And it felt a good kind of different. And was about to get even more surprising.

"Mom…" whined Dash all of a sudden.

"Uh…huh?" asked Helen, still trying to get Jack-Jack to eat something.

"You're making _weird faces_ _again_," he stressed, having had enough.

"No - I'm - not," she rebutted, paying no attention.

"You make weird faces, honey," pointed out Bob, not looking at her, but rather concentrating on a manual from work besides his meal. Annoyed, Helen turned to Bob and asked, "Do you _have _to read at the table?"

Still not looking at her, Bob replied in the same faraway, distracted tone, "Uh-huh. Yeah."

"Smaller bites, Dash! Yikes!" exclaimed Helen when she saw the speedster try and rip his steak to pieces with his teeth. Sighing, she furthered, "Do I _have _to remind everyone that we have a _guest _at the table?"

"It's alright, _really_," smiled Hi-Jax, perfectly happy eating with this family both normal and _not-quite-so_ normal.

"Bob, can you help the carnivore cut his meat?"

Sighing, Bob left his workbook and used his vastly superior strength to cut his son's steak, soon lost in his own boredom all over again.

"Dash…" asked his stern mother, "you have something you wanna tell your father about school?"

Now very nervous, Dash sheepishly smiled, "Well, uh…we dissected a frog."

"Dash got sent to the office again," confessed Helen. Not listening, Bob just replied, "Good. Good."

"_No_, Bob. That's _bad_."

Snapping to attention, Bob heard Helen repeat what she'd said.

"What?! What for?"

"_Nothing_," seethed Dash angrily, looking to his mother, who continued, "He put a _tack _on the teacher's chair…_during _class."

"Nobody saw me," the ten-year-old muttered unhappily. "You could barely see it on the tape."

"They caught you on tape and you still got away with it?!" asked Bob, truly amazed and not at all hiding the fact that he was proud of his son. "Whoa! You must have been bookin'! How fast do you think you were going?!"

"Bob!" protested an angry Helen. "We are _not _encouraging this!"

"I'm not encouraging! I was just…!"

"Honey!"

Too late. After hearing the breaking of crockery, Bob looked down to discover that in being excited over Dash's speed, his strength had cut right through not only the steak, but through the plate as well, leaving a knife imbedded deep in the table.

"_Great_," seethed a frustrated Bob to himself. "First the _car_, now I gotta pay to fix the _table_…!"

Helen naturally overheard and interrupted. "The _car_? What happened to the car?"

Bob just glared icily at his wife. Hi-Jax slowly munched away at his meal whilst shifting his eyes sideways to the parents, surveying the tension. Dash knew to keep his mouth shut. Violet, completely in a world of her own, didn't even notice.

"Here," snorted Bob, passing his meal to Dash. "I'm getting a new plate."

Helen chose to ignore her husband's annoyance and also chose to start conversation as he went to the kitchen.

"Anyway, how are you, Vi? How was school?"

"Nothing to report," she answered gloomily, flicking away at a piece of broccoli.

"You've hardly touched your food."

"I'm not hungry for meatloaf."

"Well, it _is_ leftover night," Helen replied chirpily. "We have steak, pasta, lasagne…what are you hungry for?"

"Tony Rydinger," teased Dash cruelly.

"_Shut - up_," whispered Violet to her brother, her depression now replaced by fear shielded with anger. She really didn't want her mother to know about her crush.

"Well, you are!" Dash shouted back, seeing no point in denying the obvious.

"I said shut up, you little insect!" Violet snapped back, pointing her fork at him threateningly.

"Well she is!"

"Do _not _shout at the table! _Especially _when we have a guest!" ordered Helen, exercising her authority. "Honey!"

"Kids! Listen to your mother!" Bob shouted back from the kitchen, with virtually no enthusiasm at all, making Helen want to just groan. Hi-Jax secretly found it amusing, and carried on enjoying his food.

Dash was about to drink from his glass of milk when he looked back up at Violet, smirked and muttered, "She'd eat if we were having _Tony_loaf."

Hi-Jax instantly spat out the mouthful of water back into his glass, coughing and spluttering before trying his absolute hardest not to let out laughter. And he didn't quite succeed. He placed his hand over his mouth and failed to stop a few sniggers from escaping. As the Parr family's attention shifted to him, Hi-Jax felt a little bit embarrassed but was more amused than anything else. Everything about Dash's wisecrack, the timing, innovativeness and sheer cleverness of it had made him want to laugh out loud. He'd found it one-hundred-percent funny and that genuinely surprised him.

For Violet, though…Dash's joke and Hi-Jax's subsequent snort of laughter was the final straw.

"That's it!" she yelled and actually dived out of her seat, across the table and on top of her brother, making him fall out of his own chair. Her head then turned completely invisible, along with her body. Her clothes didn't disappear though and the sight of seeing a woolly jumper, jeans and trainers try and strangle a little boy was odd, but not unusual for Hi-Jax.

Hi-Jax didn't try _not _to laugh this time. He just did it, guffawing at the sibling squabbling. Not out of cruelty, but because he felt as though it was playful. And that he had become part of this family. And he felt all the more surprised and grateful for it.

Meanwhile, Dash smacked Violet across the side of her head. It made her let go of his neck, and also made her turn visible. In a flash, Dash literally ran circles around his bigger sister, smacking her hard across her face and body. Helen yelled at them both to stop fighting, while Hi-Jax abandoned his meal to give the two children some room, thinking it best for themselves to sort out their squabble.

Violet soon stopped the assault by conjuring up a protective force field that Dash banged hard against. He fell onto his backside and rubbed his head like a fool. Violet sniggered in delight. Dash gathered his bearings and prepared to renew his offensive. Violet likewise attempted to charge but Helen (standing up out of her chair) outstretched her arms and wrapped them both round her children to keep them both apart. She yelled at them both to stop. Whereas Hi-Jax still kept a respective distance away, finding this family more and more great to be around with.

Helen couldn't keep her children apart, no matter how much it seemed like it. Her arms were still wrapped around both Violet and Dash as they charged at one another, now tied up in a tight grapple under the table. Helen now found herself dragged onto the table, unable to lift her chin up unless she let go of the kids.

"Bob! It's time to engage!"

Bob returned from the kitchen, immediately bewildered by what he saw.

"Bob! Don't just stand there!" grunted Helen. "I need you to…intervene!"

"You want me to intervene?" asked Bob, walking to the table and lifting it right off the ground, along with his wife and children, still shouting and fighting. "Okay! I'm intervening! I'm intervening!"

At that point, Hi-Jax just completely burst into laughter as the Parr family yelled and bickered. The parents trying in futility to stop the sibling fighting. Jack-Jack just laughed and laughed in excitement. The anomaly still found it genuinely amusing. And amazing. He couldn't remember the last time he had allowed his heart to succumb to such comedic situations. And it was such a good feeling.

It felt…_healing_.

The doorbell than rang, making the entire Parr family cease the fighting. Bob quickly lowered the table, Helen quickly unravelled herself and Violet and Dash let go of one another. In literally _two _seconds, the family of supers had resumed their dinner as a nice, ordinary family. Hi-Jax also resumed his place at the table, determined to help maintain the Parrs' cover. Dash went to get the door, the other members hoping that whoever had arrived hadn't heard the commotion. Or enough of it to become too suspicious.

"Hey, Lucius!"

"Hey, Speedo!" greeted the arrival, cheerfully. "Helen, Vi, Jack-Jack."

"_Ice_ of you to drop by!" joked Bob.

"Ha! _Never _heard that one before. And _this _dude is…?"

"His name's Hi-Jax!" explained Dash. "He's _wicked _cool!"

"He helped us out earlier," furthered Helen. "Great kid."

That part genuinely touched Hi-Jax's heart. The reason being how sincere the statement was.

"I'll be back later," said Bob, immediately standing up from his chair, grabbing his jacket and quickly ushering Lucius towards the door.

"Where are you two going?

"It's Wednesday."

"Oh…bowling night. Say hello to Honey for me, Lucius!"

"Uh…will do, Helen!" he replied, somewhat nervously as Bob eagerly shunted him out of the door. "Goodnight, Helen. Goodnight, kids! Nice to meet you, Hi-Jax!"

The anomaly instantly liked Lucius and likewise became suspicious of Bob's desire to scram. But happy as he was, and seeing no reason to suspect any danger, Hi-Jax just returned to his food and the family conversation.

"_Don't _think you've avoided talking about your trip to the principle's office, young man," Helen warned Dash. "Your father and I are still gonna discuss it."

"I'm not the only kid who gets sent to the office."

"Other kids don't have superpowers. Now, its perfectly normal to…"

"'_Normal?'_ interrupted Violet, coming out of her depression once again into overwhelming anger. "What do _you _know about normal? What does _anyone _in _this _family know about being NORMAL?!"

"Now wait a minute, young lady!"

"We ACT normal, Mom! I wanna BE normal! The only normal one is Jack-Jack and he's not even toilet trained!"

Jack-Jack just laughed.

"Mr Hi-Jax…" sighed Violet unhappily, "have you ever wanted to be normal?"

The teenager stopped eating and thought back to his contemplation that morning.

"Half of me does. The other half is proud to be what I am."

"What kind of an answer is _that_?"

"I never really thought about it until today. But…there's always a plus side and a minus side to _everything_. That's what I believe."

"I would've thought it'd be 100 percent _sweet _being you," confessed Dash. "Taking names, kicking…"

"Dash!" interrupted Helen sternly and timely.

"Kid…" the anomaly sighed, "you've _no _idea what I'm all about. And frankly…you'd be much better off if you _didn't_."

The whole mood changed with that as Hi-Jax carried on eating. Both Violet and Dash looked at him, totally confused. At that point, Helen sensed something _else _about Hi-Jax, something darker. Although not necessarily evil or something to mistrust…just something they'd be better off not knowing, as he'd said.

Immediately forgotten, they all proceeded to finish off dinner. Hi-Jax helped Helen wash up the dishes, enjoying bonding with her the most. They conversed more about general stuff and once they'd finished clearing up, they actually sat down and watched television together. Then Hi-Jax played with Dash on his racing track. The anomaly was very good at using the controller to make his car go round and round but Dash was far more cooler and faster playing the game. Dash was easily able to conquer the respectable challenge and revelled in his victories. Hi-Jax honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had such fun. And Dash also seemed to really appreciate it.

Helen was thankful, as well. She'd enjoyed having someone to talk to when Bob wasn't in. Someone who'd _listen_ to her and _understand _her. Hi-Jax felt the same, and appreciated the rare opportunity to just sit down and relax.

Violet, however…had just retreated to her room, reading a magazine and listening to music on her headphones, shutting herself off completely from the world. Hi-Jax understood and once again chose to respect her privacy. Although Helen wished she'd open up and just be herself, Hi-Jax said that everyone must reveal themselves when _they_ know that they're ready to decide who they really are.

The kids had all gone to bed reasonably early, and it was approaching midnight. Bob still hadn't come home, and Helen's suspicion was matched only by her anger. Hi-Jax had decided to go to bed, thanking Helen for everything she and her family had provided him. He also felt it was time to check in with Wade.

In the spare room, he turned on his H.J.F.M.

"_Hi-Jax! I've been trying to get in touch with you for HOURS! Where are you?! Are you alright?!"_

"Relax, Wade. I'm fine. I'm still in Metroville. I'm settling down here for the night, then I'm making tracks in the morning."

"_What happened? I couldn't reach you."_

"A Nobody attack. But it was soon taken care of."

"_Nobodies? The Organization doesn't have any interest in the world you're on. Why'd they send Nobodies there?"_

"Xemnas showed me the pathway," Hi-Jax explained. "And I'm his supposed failsafe against Sharak, remember? He's obviously keeping tabs on me and wants to make sure I don't forget my mission."

"_You're kinda saying that as though…"_

"He _doesn't _own me, Wade. I'm doing all this for _myself _and _my friends_. Not for him and his freaks. Besides…I don't think he did send those Nobodies after me."

Wade saw the confusion and fear on his face, and became puzzled himself.

"_What do you mean?"_

Hi-Jax shook his head dismissively, and smiled, not wanting to return to his troubles now after he'd had such a pleasant evening.

"I'll tell you all about it in the morning. Anyway…was there anything you wanted to tell me before I sign off?"

"_There was something. When I first hacked into Sharak's computer, I noticed an odd transmission that Drakken had sent. I didn't really have time to examine it, what with the Middleton crisis and all. But it caught my eye, nonetheless. So I decided to make a record of it and look at it when I got the chance. It was encrypted gibberish, all broken and sporadic. I reckon he was hacking someone else's computer and sending it to someone outside of Sharak's party."_

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in interest as Wade showed the data flow patterns between worlds.

"Do you think it was the Organization's data he hacked?"

"_Strong possibility. Drakken did an okay job, but this is Drakken we're talking about here. The data he got a hold of was incomplete and it was only a matter of time until the computer threw him out. Still, he encrypted the transmission really well. And did leave his trail pretty cold. I could tell it was really important because of the one and only word I was able to decipher from it."_

"Which _was_…?"

"_Heartless."_

"Figures," nodded Hi-Jax. "Where was Drakken sending this stuff to?"

"_A cyber café in Traverse Town. Situated in the First District."_

"I know the place. I'll check it out tomorrow."

"_B.T.W…news reports show that Dusks were sighted in the area."_

"Oh, were there? That makes thing a lot more interesting."

"_What do you think Sharak was doing exactly? Who was he helping?"_

"I'll find out. Whatever the motive, it's obviously big knowing Sharak. Good work, Wade. Thanks."

On the other end of the line, Wade sighed anxiously, _"Anything about Kim?"_

Hi-Jax sadly replied, "I was hoping you had more luck than I did today."

Nothing was said between the two for several unsettling seconds.

"Tomorrow's another day, pal," nodded the anomaly with determination.

"_Yeah…" _yawned Wade, rubbing his hand across his face. _"I'd better call it a day, too. Night, HJ. See ya in the morning."_

"You too, Wade. Tell Ron we're not giving up."

"_He knows, dude."_

* * *

Hi-Jax slept so peacefully that night. And deep down, he was very thankful for it. Everytime he rested, it was the equivalent of going from one world of nightmares to another. His dreams were always haunted by Sharak, the Organization, the destruction they had inflicted on his life, memories of his loved ones being taken from him… 

But tonight were dreams of happiness. Dreams of his kingdom being rebuilt, dreams of reunion with Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jaron, dreams of all those he had recently befriended...

Nothing but happy dreams. The first time he'd experienced any in over a year.

But it wasn't the first time he'd slept in over a year…where he hadn't woke up in the middle of the night. This time however, his awakening didn't come from a nightmare. Rather, it was from something he should've guessed was going to happen sooner or later.

"_You KNOW how I feel about that, Bob! Darn you, we can't blow cover again!"_

"_The building was coming down, anyway."_

"_WHAT?! You knocked down a BUILDING?!"_

The argument came from the living room, waking Hi-Jax up. It was hard to ignore it, let alone shut it all out. So Hi-Jax could only listen.

"It was on fire! Structurally unsound" explained Bob to Helen, trying to justify what he and Lucius had really been up to. "It was coming down, anyway."

"Tell me you haven't been listening to the police scanner again," she replied, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Look, I performed a _public service._ You act like that's a bad thing."

"It IS a bad thing, Bob! Uprooting our family AGAIN so you can relieve the glory days is a VERY bad thing!"

"Relieving the glory days is better than acting like they never happened!"

"YES! They happened! But _this, our family_, is what's happening _now_, Bob. And you are _missing _this! I can't believe you don't wanna go to your own son's graduation!"

"It's _not _a graduation. He is moving from the fourth grade to the fifth grade."

"It's a _ceremony._"

"It's _psychotic_," rebutted Bob, not seeing the point as he tried to rationalise everything to his frustrated wife. "They keep looking for new ways to exploit mediocrity, but when someone is _genuinely _exceptional…"

"This is not about you, Bob," interrupted Helen, having had more than enough. "This is about _Dash_."

"You wanna do something for Dash? Then stop holding him back! Let him actually compete! Let him go out for sports!"

"I will _not _be made the enemy here! You _know _why we can't do that!"

"Because he'd be GREAT!" Bob yelled back, raising his voice to its highest pitch.

"IT IS NOT ABOUT _YOU!_" Helen screamed in retaliation, extending her height so she now towered over her husband. A second later, they both turned to notice a brief gust of wind that nearly blew a few pieces of notepaper off the coffee table.

"Alright, Dash, I know you're listening," sighed Bob sadly and gently. "Come on out."

"Vi?" asked Helen. "You too, young lady."

Nothing happened.

"Come on," reassured Bob gently. "Come on out."

Dash nervously popped his head from behind the armchair. Violet's head turned visible from behind the settee. She anxiously stepped forward along with her concerned brother.

"It's okay, kids. We're just having a discussion."

"Pretty _loud _discussion."

"Yeah, I know. But that's okay. Because mommy and I are always a team. United…against the forces of…uh…"

"Pigheadedness?" suggested Helen.

"I was gonna say evil or something," he muttered back.

"We're sorry we woke you," she assured her children. "Everything's okay. Really. Go back to bed, it's late."

In the spare room, Hi-Jax couldn't help but think more about this incredible family. He could feel the fear and sadness in Violet and Dash's hearts once again. The depression radiating from Bob and the worry radiating from Helen.

_And I thought I had problems_, thought Hi-Jax. _Half of these guys hate being denied what they are. And the other half just wants a normal life. I'm so busy concentrating on my own problems and the full-scale problems of the whole world that I never even thought about ones in civilian lives. They can be just as important. They are problems with the heart, after all._

Hi-Jax stroked his chin for a moment.

_Maybe I should help. That's what I am here for. And after everything they've done for me today…_

Hi-Jax laid his head back down on the pillow and returned to his sleep.

_I'll return the favour for these guys. When they most need it._

* * *

"So let's recap," Hades surmised. "You want new recruits from my deepest dungeon, new Heartless from my own collection and the recently reopened Underdrome to be used as a testing ground for Sharak's new recruits/experiments." 

"And in exchange, you will receive some of our very own Heartless. We can also capture Nobodies as participants for your games. There will be no more Organization trespassing on your domain, also. And you can also borrow some of own warriors for your contests."

Hades thought it over. It was a great deal that Ilxsa was offering. New participants would certainly freshen things up for his dead spectators and generate great revenue. And it would also increase his chances of finally eliminating Hercules and Sora. The deal was far too good to turn down.

But Hades was a master of business. He knew who he was dealing with here.

"You talk a sweet deal, babe," the Underworld's Lord spoke as he flashed a crooked grin. "But…as I recall, my _last _business venture with Sharak…"

"Ended with you and the Council of Darkness unifying with him," Ilxsa admitted. "But you were still part of him. Technically, you still existed."

"The way _I _see it…it was a business merger that resulted in Sharak being a richer CEO…and me falling under lost archives."

"Do you _remember _it being a terrible experience?" the Darkest Exile asked, pointing out the flaw in Hades' argument. As she had anticipated, Hades _couldn't_ remember _exactly_ what had happened during the final phases of the New Era of Darkness. He remembered most of it, but couldn't remember not existing at all. Only that he was being unwillingly merged with him.

But as Ilxsa had pointed out, it couldn't really be classed as a betrayal. And Sharak wouldn't try the same tactic again. He couldn't. It would only cause another Imbalance of Reality. One that could not be reversed.

On paper…it was all good.

"Point taken," nodded Hades, conceding. "But I want my piece of the pie as well when it comes out of the oven."

"Sharak will be pleased to know you still have an interest in Kingdom Hearts, Lord Hades," nodded Ilxsa. "But if you wish to up the ante, we will require an additional payment to even the balance of our agreement."

"How does a cut of the Hades Cup's profits grab you?"

"Further funds could be useful for our research."

"So, exchange of warriors, helping hand here and there in war and entertainment, general increase in profits, hearts and souls…and Kingdom Hearts at the end. Did you get all that down?" he asked, turning to Pain and Panic as they frantically scribbled on the parchment to finish it off.

"Warriors…munny…hearts and souls…Kingdom Hearts…" repeated Pain. "Yep, we got it!"

Hades then snatched the contract and held it in front of Ilxsa to sign. She obliged. Then Hades signed his signature and snapped his fingers, the contract disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Pleasure doing business with ya," grinned Hades evilly.

"I do not have the capacity for pleasure, Lord Hades," confessed Ilxsa. "But when I retrieve my heart and look back on this…I will express pleasure then."

* * *

**_Author's Note: Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Hope you all had a nice Christmas. Finally! I've finished another chapter of the Darkness-Nothing War! Please submit reviews as I'm eager to know what people think about this story. The reason for few and far between updates is due to work among other writing projects. Thanks for being patient. And I hope you continue to read more of my work._**

**_Anyway, see you when I see you!_**

**_D.C. Wood (28/1/08)_**


	11. Chapter 11: Demons Laid to Rest

**_Author's note: Well, here we are again. Another update, another chapter. This is is the one I'd say I'm most proud of so far. For those who've been wondering how Larxene and Vexen have returned from the dead, the waiting is over. All the answers are finally here in this chapter, and this will signify a major turning point in Hi-Jax's character and his quest._**

**_Can people PRETTY PLEASE review and let me know what you think of this story? Being frank, a lack of reviews makes my heart want to cry. Please save it from falling into darkness!_**

**_Anyway...see you all soon!_**

**_D.C. Wood (07/03/08)._**

**

* * *

**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**_Chapter 11: Demons Laid to Rest_**

The World That Never Was, home to Organization XIII

The discussion room in the Castle That Never Was.

"Vexen's experiment proceeds well. The 'return' of our comrades signifies this."

"Indeed, Saïx. For too long has our counter-measure defied us. Before tonight ends, the rebellious exile will disobey us no longer."

Xemnas smiled within the darkness of his hood, before letting loose an amused chuckle.

"How ironic. The coward and the traitor serve us better in death than they ever did in life."

"And our salvation?" asked the Luna Diviner.

Chuckling again, Xemnas replied, "Neither Sora nor Maleficent realise what favours they're doing us."

Saïx smiled as well.

* * *

Castle Oblivion, former Organization outpost, now home to Sharak.

The master computer room, originally designed and built by Vexen. It was extensively reconstructed and upgraded to suit Sharak's needs when he took over the castle.

Reflection was all alone in Sharak's computer room, typing away at the keyboard with speed and finesse, accessing and viewing all the information available. He was still hoping to find more details regarding the Keyblade War, the Saviour, Sharak and the Keyblade. When Sharak had taken over Castle Oblivion, he had acquired more than just a base of operations. He had essentially taken half of their resources. Not just Heartless creation facilities and the white rooms that shaped out according to the entrant's memories, but also the library, computer, research and development facilities and valuable information archives amassed by the Organization regarding the heart, the worlds, Kingdom Hearts and most of what there was to know.

Reflection's search through the library had been very successful, but the records stored in the castle were mostly incomplete. It was limited in comparison to all the master archives and resources situated in the Organization's main headquarters. And with no means of gaining access to their computer, let alone their world, available at present, Reflection had been forced to be satisfied with what he had learned so far.

Which to the arrogant aristocrat…was unacceptable.

The computer had many records, all of which contained data to satisfy the shape-shifter's greed. But the data Reflection really wanted, the information he didn't know, was corrupt, much to his frustration. He knew that the Organization were cautious about their secrets, despite the loss of Castle Oblivion. And with Drakken only able to swipe so much from DiZ's computer, to retrieve data from that source through an illegal connection was no longer optional.

_DiZ's computer_, thought Reflection suddenly, stopping what he was doing to contemplate his next move. _That's closer to home. Perhaps a trip to Twilight Town is in order. Some time. When it suits my…'leader'._

Reflection then pressed a few more keys, and a disk popped out of the computer's drive, containing encrypted and password-protected copies of all the valuable information the shape-shifter had learned so far. Taking the disk, Reflection kissed it and then drew it into the darkness of his being, keeping it safe and to himself.

"_Attention,"_ warned the computer. _"Anomaly detected. Priority alert."_

"Ah…" mused Reflection. "The ENCOM computer system proves its value and efficiency once again. Computer, identify anomaly and pinpoint source of origin."

"Found something, have you?"

Sharak's voice startled Reflection. He turned round to see the emperor standing before him.

"Ah…Sharak," began the aristocrat, his nervousness immediately subsiding. "As we speak, I'm trying to identify…"

"And _before _that?" the contaminated darkness asked out of interest. Reflection knew that Sharak must have been informed by Ilxsa of his taste for history.

"Just a little research, eminence."

"So I've _heard_."

"Purely innocent study of history. I assure you."

"There is no such thing as innocence in darkness, Reflection," pointed out Sharak as he leered his face into the aristocrat's. "I trust this won't interfere with work matters."

"Of course not, my liege," soothed the shape-shifter. "If anything, it could benefit you. Other means to obtain Kingdom Hearts, facts regarding events prior to the Keyblade War…"

"They maybe a few gaps in my memory, but I know the essentials. And that suffices. I'll tell you all about it someday. Depending on whether or not you _please_ me."

"Emperor Sharak, you are royalty. I am aristocracy. It is only natural for us to please one another. I…"

"We are _not _allies, Reflection," Sharak sneered angrily, eyes glowing brightly. "I am your leader. You _obey_ me. I reward loyalty. That's all there is to it."

"Of course…my master. I…"

"_Anomaly identified," _interrupted the computer. _"Matched to data file. Subject 'Hi-Jax.'_"

The glow in Sharak's eyes faded. 'Smiling' sinisterly, he pushed Reflection to one side to get closer to the computer screen's readouts. The shape-shifter looked at his arm, then Sharak, and angrily dusted his arm off.

"_Data error. Subject 'Hi-Jax' is emitting interference."_

"Elaborate," ordered Sharak.

"_Neural activity. Unable to properly identify. Subject's data is somehow corrupting himself and surroundings."_

"Interesting. A little surprise you set in motion, Vexen?" the creature thought out loud. "When you redesigned Adam in your pitiful attempt to stop me? Computer, location."

"_Interference emitted is partially clouding subject's energy signature. Impossible to pinpoint precise location."_

"Just identify the world. A search party can take care of the rest."

"_Identifying…Subject 'Hi-Jax' traced to World 'Traverse Town'._

"Excellent," approved Sharak. "With Hi-Jax in such a questionable and hopefully vulnerable state, I will finally have the means to cure myself. Closest units?"

"'Coldstone' and 'Karall'," informed the computer.

_Hi-Jax in Traverse Town! _thought Reflection. _I can finally have my chance to avenge myself against the little pauper_._ And perhaps interrogate him for what history he knows. And Sharak will undoubtedly reward me with everything I need to know once I present his cure before him._

"I will gladly assist them with the capture," the shape-shifter volunteered, bowing gracefully. "After all, with my valuable shape-shifting talents…"

"Hi-Jax will see right through any disguises you conjure!" roared Sharak in frustration. Calming down, he furthered, "Besides which, Coldstone and Karall will need to embark on their first real field mission. And _you _haven't quite recovered from your 'change of heart'. You need more time to adjust."

Angered by Sharak's patronizing, Reflection, carefully choosing his words, rebutted, "I am in optimal physical condition. And further reinforcements…"

"Would be a _waste_. Especially when your _expert _data handling skills would be best suited to helping Drakken finish the Kim Possible replication. Send Coldstone and Karall to Traverse Town at once. And make sure that there's enough Heartless reinforcements to account for Nobody interference."

Sharak left the room, Reflection not taking his eyes off him.

_Oh, I've completely adjusted to my change of heart, you condescending, spiteful, dictatorial fascist. And I have Hi-Jax to thank for showing me the light._

Removing his disc from his being, Reflection stared at the power he held in his hand.

_Oh, yes. I see things MUCH more clearly now._

* * *

Traverse Town, a haven for those who have no other world to call home.

The First District, where new arrivals start out.

Hi-Jax smiled when he returned to the world he and Jaron had been exiled to, upon the decimation of their home at the hands of Sharak. Adam had been six when he arrived here, and Jaron was the age of five. For five years, they had lived here as thieves, not trusting anyone and focusing on themselves and survival. Traverse Town had truly been a haven for the brothers, even though they probably didn't deserve it. Stealing from others to survive when they could've just welcomed help from the townsfolk with open arms. They were outcasts when they didn't _need _to be.

And yet it didn't matter.

Traverse Town had let them stay. The sheer hospitality, the forgiving nature, understanding and acceptance and the welcoming, heart-warming aura that radiated from this place…one could only grow fond of it.

Hi-Jax thanked the town for saving his life. If it hadn't been for this place, he honestly didn't think he'd be here today. He didn't think that the Council of Light would've found him and Jaron. If not for Traverse Town…the rest _wouldn't _be history.

Suddenly. the H.J.F.M. in the anomaly's coat pocket rang a heavy-metal tone. Hi-Jax took it out to answer the call.

"I'm here, Wade."

"_Okay, cyber café exactly to your left."_

"I've lived here before, don't worry. Can you identify exactly which computer it was our mystery user was on?"

"_No problem, HJ. Once you're inside, just plug the H.J.F.M. into a connection port and we should be able to trace the line back to Sharak's computer. And hopefully the Organization's as well."_

"Are you sure that's even possible?" asked Hi-Jax doubtfully. "Even for a genius?"

"_If Drakken left a trace, he's bound to have slipped up more than once. It's what he usually does."_

"True enough. Right, then…time to get some nice juicy answers."

"_Hi-Jax…"_ Wade's voice stopped the anomaly going into the café.

"What?"

"_Are…are you alright?" _the ten-year-old computer genius asked, appearing really concerned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" replied the anomaly, confused.

"_Well…" _Wade sighed, pausing for a moment, unsure how to put this. Then he decided not to insult Hi-Jax by being blunt.

"_Ever since you told me about Larxene and Vexen…"_

"I'm fine." Hi-Jax's interruption meant that he didn't want his traumatic experiences distract him from the task at hand

"_You clearly haven't been. Look, I know that I don't know exactly what you went through at Castle Oblivion but I wanna help. Your data scans show something seriously screwed up. If you let me do a proper test, I can try and correct…"_

"I appreciate that, Wade," the anomaly sighed painfully. "And…yeah, it does frighten me what's going on. I've no idea what this means but it's something I'm just going to have to try and solve by myself. If it happens again, it'll be the very last time."

"_What makes you so sure?"_

"It's a feeling I have."

"_A FEELING? Hi-Jax, that is SO nineties-material."_

"And?" he smiled back, appreciating Wade's humour." Besides, it's gonna be the very last time because I'm past sick and tired of…"

A Dusk teleported in front of Hi-Jax without warning. The arrival was naturally startling and came without warning. Hi-Jax snarled in anger at the dancing Dusk, who was subsequently joined by a dozen more. They all circled the anomaly, dancing as some kind of pre-attack ritual.

"_Hi-Jax, what…?"_

"Nobodies! Gotta go!" the anomaly signed off, switching his H.J.F.M. off and putting it back in his coat pocket. Drawing his swords of light and dark, Hi-Jax assumed his battle stance, ready to engage and destroy.

Three Dusks flew towards him at top velocity. Soon as they were within range, Hi-Jax struck them down with no effort at all. Two more walked upside down, advancing slowly with their arms flailing wildly. While another two Dusks flew circles around the anomaly, distracting him while the other two were getting closer and closer to striking him.

Hi-Jax cast a Graviga spell that flattened the two circling Nobodies. Backflipping away to create some distance, the anomaly then threw a light fireball to eliminate one of the upside-down Dusks. Then he turned his own body upside down and charged towards the other Nobody, impaling it with his dark sword.

Righting himself to his correct position, Hi-Jax looked up to see the remaining Nobodies all leap up high to come down on top of him. The anomaly smiled as he used his phenomenal strength to spring-leap backwards across a great distance. The Dusks all landed together in one spot.

They all turned their heads to see a smirking Hi-Jax as he unleashed a powerful Thundaga spell. The impact scattering them in all directions. The exile then cast a Stopga spell, making them all freeze in mid-air.

After landing on his feet, Hi-Jax joined his swords of light and dark together to form a large pole weapon, with scythe blades at both ends. Spinning his weapon in a radial-blur, he then held up his new weapon up high over his head, before hurling it at the motionless Dusks. Like a boomerang, it swiftly passed through all of them, one after the next in uncanny motion. Hi-Jax caught the weapon perfectly in his hand. It then disappeared out of his grasp, as he smiled to see that the Stopga spell had worn off. Time returned to herald the Nobodies' destruction.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" said a middle-aged woman who ran up to Hi-Jax to hug him. It surprised him at first, but he quickly warmed to the gratitude. Other locals soon arrived and swarmed him as they cheered, applauded and thanked him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Uh…excuse me, young man," asked an elderly lady, curiously. "But…you look awfully familiar. Have we met before?"

"Yes!" said a boy in excited recognition. "Do you have a brother?"

"Two boys used to live here several years ago," explained another local. "Little thieves, they were! But never did any _real _harm, I suppose. Just trying to stay alive was the rumour…"

As the chatter continued to grow, Hi-Jax fell deep into astonishment. Some of the townsfolk felt that they recognised him. DiZ's warnings about the ramifications of the time reversal resurfaced in his mind. Most would have completely forgotten the events of Sharak's New Era of Darkness. Yet there would be anomalies. Only a select few would have the ability to remember those events and those involved.

_So if some of these people know…or think they know me…what does this mean for Castle Mahanah? The Council of Light? Jaron? Do they still exist? Does Sora remember? Who else knows?_

"You must be dreamin', woman!" argued the town's blacksmith. "I've _never _seen this lad before! And neither 'ave you!"

"Maybe you're right," conceded his wife. "But…I was so sure I'd seen him before!"

"No!" protested another local. "He and his brother used to live in Traverse Town years ago! His name's…his name's…uh…well, his _brother's _name was…was…"

"Jaron?" suggested Hi-Jax, hoping that the provocation would help.

"'Jaron'?" he replied back, shaking his head. "Sorry, lad. No one who goes by that name has ever lived here. What's your name, anyway?"

Anxiety overwhelmed the former Adam. His heart grappled with the notion of his identity. Over who he was _now_, and who he had _been_. And what DiZ had advised him. How he should never let his desires cloud his judgement. If that ever happened, another Imbalance of Reality would follow.

With no chance whatsoever of a reversal this time.

"I'm…not who you think I am, unfortunately," he answered sadly. "This…is the first time I've ever been to Traverse Town."

_And that's technically true_. _This is the first time that HI-JAX has ever been to Traverse Town._

"Oh, sorry, lad. It's just you look awfully like someone I once knew."

"Anyway, thanks so much for saving us! Is there anything we can do?"

"No, thank you," smiled the anomaly. "I was just passing through."

The crowd then dispersed, going their separate ways, all thanking the teenage exile and saying goodbye. Amidst the crowd chatter, Hi-Jax heard something that made him both bewildered and hopeful.

"Strange…I could've sworn that he was that young _Adam _boy."

Hi-Jax now stood alone in the centre of the first district, wondering what this development could possibly mean to his future.

Sighing, he said to himself, "Great. More complications on the horizon. And I don't know if that's good or bad. Naturally."

Shaking off his turmoil, he turned to the café to continue his mission. And counting that a hot chocolate and a croissant would help make him feel better. But as he directed towards the café, he soon realised that that would have to wait.

Another Dusk shot right past him, fleeing up the steps past the Accessory Shop and Geppetto's House towards the Second District.

"Oh, no you don't, you little sucker," seethed Hi-Jax as he chased after it. Shortly after he'd gone, the hooded Xigbar emerged from the shadows of the alley in-between the Item and Accessory Shops.

"Go fetch, little boy," No. 2 chuckled sinisterly, looking towards where Hi-Jax had gone. "Go fetch."

* * *

The Second District.

Upon his entry, Hi-Jax sprinted and jumped over the nearest wall, over the water fountain. After he landed in the market square, he slowly rose to stand up straight.

All was still.

Unholy.

Quiet.

There wasn't a soul outdoors. Hi-Jax could feel hearts all locked away safely in their houses and hotel rooms. That suited Hi-Jax just fine. With no bystanders around to get hurt, the anomaly could concentrate fully on the battle ahead, and thus deal with whatever the Organization threw at him.

"Come out, come out, come out, wherever you are," sang Hi-Jax eerily as he venture further into the heart of the square. "Here, little Nobody. Don't be afraid. You know you can't be. So what's wrong with running away from the inevitable?"

That instant, the Dusk reappeared behind the anomaly and pounced for him. Not even turning around, Hi-Jax just thrust his dark blade backwards, impaling the last Nobody.

As the slain Dusk faded back into oblivion, Hi-Jax withdrew his weapon and stood up straight again.

"See? It's not so bad."

"'What's wrong with running away from the inevitable?'" repeated Vexen as he faded into existence behind Hi-Jax. "'It's not so bad'. What an _excellent _rhetorical question, my greatest project. Backed by an answer that cannot be put in more simple terms. You've now realised why I'm still here. Because I created you. Because I am a father to you. You _need _me to survive. You look up to me for guidance. And I am here to help you. My death may have devastated you, but it's alright now. I am here, my Hi-Jax. And now it is time for you to accept the inevitable, because at long last…you _realise_…that it is _nothing _to be afraid of. As you adequately put…it's not so bad."

No. 4 then held out his hand to the teenage exile.

A long and unsettling silence followed.

Hi-Jax turned slowly and menacingly around to face the Chilly Academic.

"I will say this…" the anomaly began coldly, "one - _final _- time. So get it through your head. I am _not _your slave. I _never have been_ your slave. And I _never will be _your slave. PERIOD!!!"

Vexen snarled angrily.

"_Stupid…CHILD._ Don't you understand? You can _never _be rid of me. You never _will _be rid of me! _I _am your master! Your creator! You have no choice but to follow me!"

Vexen's sneer turned into a evil smile.

"Now do as you're _told_."

Hi-Jax just burst into laughter.

"'Do as I'm told'. You mean like that _'fabulous' _Riku Replica? Like Mr 'Low-Ranking' Marluxia? Has anyone ever been known to take orders from you _seriously_? You have no charisma, no respect from anyone…you were an _embarrassment _to the Organization, you cringe-coward. And a complete joke to believe that people would follow commands from a total, snivelling weasel like you."

As Hi-Jax pointed and laughed at Vexen in ridicule, the Chilly Academic's smile gave way to the venomous sneer.

"Always the one for mind games…that is a true sign of love for your enemies. Even for those who are no more. Don't forget…absence makes the heart grow _fonder_."

Hi-Jax stopped laughing, thinking a bit about what Xigbar had told him back in Ruination City.

Then he narrowed his eyes in contempt at Vexen.

"Whatever," the eighteen-year-old sneered, brandishing his swords. "It's _dying _time."

The Organization's No. 4 smiled evilly once again, as particles of ice radiated brightly from his left forearm. The element of ice intensified, the ice particles growing in number and becoming brighter and brighter…

Until they formed Vexen's shield.

"Willing to _die _in _denial_?" he asked curiously. "Than _live _in _acceptance_?"

"No," Hi-Jax replied simply. "To live to prove that _I'm _right and _you're _not. Freedom is truth…and the price of death is worth it."

The two mortal foes braced themselves.

"Self-destruction is for the foolish," commented the Chilly Academic.

Vexen levitated himself off the ground and fired an ice blast at Hi-Jax. The teenager somersaulted to dodge the blast, but quickly found himself having to avoid another ice blast. The Chilly Academic chased after the anomaly, firing projectile after projectile at him. He was also getting quicker in his attacks. So Hi-Jax responded by being quicker in his athletic evasions.

"So flawless," remarked No. 4 approvingly, relentless in his attacks. "So responsive and instinctive. More than a match for Sharak. You truly were my greatest project. It is such a shame it had to come to this."

Hi-Jax somersaulted away from another ice blast and was about to land on his feet when he noticed Vexen raising his arm in summoning fashion. Pillars of ice sprung out of the ground' chasing after the anomaly. Changing tactics, Hi-Jax sprinted to avoid the trail of icicles smashing up out of the street. Vexen remained relentless in his attack, still hurling balls of ice after the teenage exile. Hi-Jax swatted them back with his swords in his tormentor's direction, but they only impacted harmlessly against the Chilly Academic's shield.

With the ice pillars closing in rapidly, and the barrage of ice blasts becoming more intense, Vexen assumed that Hi-Jax hadn't noticed the slippery puddle he was about to step on. As expected, Hi-Jax stumbled and tripped the instant his foot stepped onto Vexen's trap. Instinctively rolling forward, the teenager saw the pillars about to connect with him. Timing the move just right, his swung his blade of light at the icicle parade just before it reached him. The impact cancelled the attack, shattering the ice and sending shards of it right towards Vexen's face at tremendous velocity.

The Chilly Academic gasped and quickly raised his shield to cover himself from the deathly hail. The jagged ice shards smashed harmlessly against his shield. No longer in a complimenting mood, the scientist lowered his shield to reveal another insidious scowl.

"Your defiance no longer amuses, boy!" he yelled, his patience having run its course. "Follow the Organization code NOW! Obey us or…!"

Vexen's voice trailed away in surprise, confusion and then even more frustration over Hi-Jax's sudden disappearance.

"You cannot run, let alone _hide_, from your _destiny_, you little scum!"

The hand grabbed Vexen's scrawny neck and squeezed hard. The Chilly Academic tried to teleport to safety but the anomaly's powers stopped him from doing so. As No. 4 choked due to the pressure, he opened a pained eye to look to his left.

To see a menacing Hi-Jax whisper coldly into his ear, "When _my destiny_…is to destroy Sharak, reunite myself with my friends, rebuild my happiness…and rid myself of you vermin forever…I _don't _run and hide from it…"

Hi-Jax let go of Vexen's neck to allow him to scream.

As he thrust his dark blade right through the Nobody's spine.

"I FULFIL IT!"

Kicking the Chilly Academic's body right off his blade, Hi-Jax screamed as he charged towards his creator's body, his dark blade screeching sparks of fury as it trailed along the ground, on collision course with Vexen. The scientist's screams echoed throughout the caverns of Hi-Jax's tortured mind as raw, unleashed savagery overwhelmed him. The anomaly sent his sword slashing through the Nobody again and again, taking enormous pleasure and satisfaction in inflicting the violent, killing strokes.

_At last…at long last, _the Anomaly relished with glee, sweet _retribution is mine! About time, too._

Seconds later, all became still again in the town's Second District.

Unholy and unnerving solitude.

Hi-Jax saw Vexen's brutally slain body fade back into the oblivion whence it came.

Then he spat on the spot where it once lay.

"Good riddance," he sneered venomously.

Seconds later, he withdrew his dark sword and breathed a sigh of relief. And beamed happily.

Whistling, he turned around to go back to the First District, telling himself it was finally over.

_Fool!_ chastised Vexen's voice as it screeched through Hi-Jax's head, rattling his brain and bringing him to his knees. _You still understand nothing! You fantasise retribution and taking pleasure in causing our suffering when you already KNOW you can't! You're twelve months too late! So accept that you've ALREADY LOST! Accept that you can do nothing to stop us without upsetting the balance! Accept that the ONLY chance of survival and peace is to FOLLOW us!_

_Peace can NEVER exist so long as your kind screw up everything, Vexen, _cried Hi-Jax in psychic pain. _So no deal._

_Stop fighting, boy! You're only making things worse for yourself and those you've come to befriend! Spare yourself this torment and start being the Organization soldier you were MEANT TO BE!_

'_Organization soldier'…don't you mean 'Sharak terminator'? Sorry…'EXPENDABLE Sharak terminator'? _

_Do you really WANT to die again, son of Mahanah?! _bellowed Vexen. _I know you don't want to…_

_You're BLUFFING, _sniggered the anomaly._ I know you won't kill me. You NEED me to get rid of Sharak. So that means you can't do a damn thing other than put up with little ol' me._

_Nice try, my greatest project, _Vexen smirked back. _But you're forgetting who you're dealing with. You WANT to destroy Sharak. You NEED to destroy Sharak. You CRAVE his destruction. You have done ever since he took your father away from you. He destroyed your home TWICE, destroyed everyone and everything you ever cared about TWICE. Then he destroyed Jaron. Think about it, Hi-Jax. You hate him far more than you hate us. And for us to take that opportunity away from you would be…heart-breaking, wouldn't it? You don't want us to rob you of the chance to avenge yourself. It's all you have left._

_Doesn't change the fact that you still NEED ME._

_We can devise other means of eliminating him. Your loss will be most unfortunate after all our time and investment…but at the end of the day, NOT critical._

_Are you actually WILLING to take that chance?! _grimaced Hi-Jax even more because of the psychic torture. _You're cleverer than that._

_Why do you think we drafted Luxord? Why do you think he's the Gambler of Fate?_

_Nice try…but no coconut. You can't do anything about Sharak yourselves. Neither can Sora. Which means I'm ESSENTIAL to your little contingency plan. I'm crucial 'cause I'm the only one who can sort Sharak out without messing everything up again. Just like I can't do anything to stop you - at the moment - without messing everything up again. STALEMATE!_

_Not quite, my reluctant little slave._

Hi-Jax's scream's echoed throughout Traverse Town. His mind exploded with Vexen's commands hammering into his brain, threatening to shatter his grip on reality more and more.

_Obey us, Hi-Jax. NOW._

_No._

_I said obey._

_And I said no._

_OBEY!_

_NO!_

_OBEY!_

_MAKE ME!_

_OBEY!_

"I'LL KILL YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL, YOU PATHETIC WEASEL!" howled Hi-Jax in insanity and agony. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

…

A flash of light then followed.

A tear fell from Hi-Jax's eye, as he panted in relief.

It was as though the whole experience had never happened at all.

"Damn it," he seethed in despair. "I can't take this anymore."

Rising to his feet, the eighteen-year-old looked around him. The town remained a ghost one, leaving Hi-Jax to wonder in the unnerving silence how many minutes…or _seconds_ of peace he'd have left until Larxene decided to show up.

_Round one to you, then, Hi-Jax, _sang the Savage Nymph telepathically. _But this whole fight lasts much longer than you can stomach._

"I can beat anything you throw at me," retorted the anomaly.

_Oh, good! I love it when the corpses are defiant to the grave! Or in your case…zombification._

Larxene's cruel laughter reeled Hi-Jax in. He knew that laugh anytime and anywhere. His intimacy of it allowed him to know it was coming from the Third District.

"This time_…this _time…we're _finishing _this."

* * *

"What do you see?" asked Karall.

"His…data patterns have been corrupted," reported Coldstone. "Available data on the Organization corroborates our theory regarding Hi-Jax. Vexen has tampered with his neural waves as a means to ensure total control."

"_Very _clever, indeed," nodded the vampire in approval. He and his fellow soldier stood high on the roof of the cathedral, having surveyed Hi-Jax's (seemingly) mad rantings, his fierce power display on the Second District, the display of Vexen's powers and the erratic readout of his data patterns. "My zookeepers designed Sharak's feast to be as deliciously resistible as possible."

The rehabilitated Karall's nostrils flared, taking in Hi-Jax's scent very deeply. Then he licked his lips.

"If Sharak hadn't made dinner reservations, _I _would've seriously dived in to the feast teeth first. The child's power would make _anyone _invincible."

"I see further evidence of data tampering," furthered Coldstone. "Not Vexen…this is much fainter, less visible."

"Who?"

"I'm identifying the codes."

"_Plural_?" asked the vampire, intrigued.

"Yes," the gargoyle confirmed. "Established as opposing means of control. Both have different signatures. One belongs to that of Xemnas. The other…is that of the anonymous individual known only as DiZ."

"Hmm…so their 'truce' was not all it was cracked up to be, then. How could it be with such a prize meal at stake?"

Hi-Jax's screams filled the Traverse Town air once more as he found himself caught up in a battle between Neo-Shadows and Dusks in the alley leading to the Third District. Karall and Coldstone continued to observe.

"The Organization must be here to ensure that their primary enslaving program is complete," concluded Coldstone.

"Doubtless, my fellow beast of the night," replied Karall, trying hard to fight the temptation to leap into they fray, to carve and feast on those below. "And they must have banked on _our _being here, as well. Our Heartless troops are no match for both Hi-Jax and the Nobodies at once. And with Hi-Jax's power and mental state in a dangerously precarious state…direct confrontation would be suicidal for us. Most unhealthy for the predators to become prey…especially after Shego and Reflection's debacle."

"So you suggest?"

"Hi-Jax will fall at our master's hand regardless, Coldstone. He needs to know of the status of his meal, immediately. Best to have his meal cooked to perfection rather than horribly spoilt. And it would give us means to refine a little strategy for our hunt. Come, we must prepare the bait."

Karall turned to leave but Coldstone just remained where he was, observing Hi-Jax as he tore through the attacking Heartless and Nobodies with ease. Coldstone ignored the computerised figures that were running through his head. Instead he focused on his struggle, his victimisation at the hands of Sharak and Organization XIII…and his refusal to allow his torment to carry on.

_WHY am I here? _Coldstone thought to himself. _What am I doing?_

"Coldstone?" called Karall, looking back to him.

"Karall…I _am _grateful to Sharak for resurrecting me…" began the gargoyle in uncertainty, "but…his intentions are a mystery to me. They don't seem hospitable for the human boy. Why must he suffer? And Sharak still hasn't answered my questions about my past. The other gargoyles…"

"I respect Sharak enough _never _to question his orders, _cyborg_," snarled the vampire in annoyance. "He freed me, and now he feeds me. I _don't _bite the hand that feeds me. And I really think it's a bad move for _you _to even consider it. Both you and Ilxsa'll get your memories back if you behave and do what you're told."

Karall entered the dark portal back to Castle Oblivion, shouting over his shoulder, "Besides…whenever did _gargoyles _owe anything to their _destroyers_?"

Coldstone looked back to Hi-Jax below. The sole survivor of the Heartless/Nobody conflict. As he entered the Third District, Coldstone's primary directive processed through his core conscious. He snarled at Hi-Jax as he ran out of his sight, the doors closing behind the anomaly.

_ALL humanity has to pay for what they did to our kind, _remembered the cyborg gargoyle.

"Point taken," he called back to Karall as he followed the dark vampire back to Castle Oblivion.

* * *

All was deadly silent in the Third District.

Hi-Jax just glared.

"Come on, then," smirked Larxene, winking. "Let's have the 'Larxene's a pathetic cow' speech, for old time's sake."

Hi-Jax just summoned his swords to his possession.

"Aww…what? No witty comeback? No death threat?" she moaned, feigning disappointment.

"Oh, I'm _so _done yammering with you," he explained, assuming his stance. Smiling, Larxene gave a humph before summoning her daggers, heralded by a fierce crackle of lightning. Spinning gracefully on the spot, she assumed her own fighting stance. Then her haunting giggling began, soon developing into trademark evil laughter.

The Savage Nymph and the teenage exile charged towards one another, their blades clashing fiercely with one another. Showers of sparks erupted from the connecting pieces of metal. Despite the obvious size mismatch between Hi-Jax's large swords and Larxene's small daggers, the Nobody's sheer skill and grace allowed her to match the anomaly's own formidable swordsmanship and reflexes.

As Hi-Jax's light flashed with each furious sword clang, bolts of Thunder magic struck the battleground, dancing round the participants. Both backed away to create regroup distance, then Larxene threw her knives for Hi-Jax's face. Hi-Jax's light blade swatted them far away. Larxene retaliated by throwing more and more knives at her foe but they were perfectly deflected by the anomaly's weapons.

Charging headstrong, the eighteen-year-old soon reached his nemesis, but before his blades could strike, Larxene teleported away from harm. An instant later, she reappeared, greeting the anomaly with a vicious boot to the face. She then teleported in and out, striking him with a flurry of martial arts attacks. The assault was relentless, threatening to pummel Hi-Jax into submission.

"Last chance, runt," No. 12 smiled in intimidating fashion. "Better take it."

Hi-Jax, battered and bruised, smirked back as he caught Larxene's fist and began to crush it, making her scream.

"_That's _the difference between you and me, witch. _I _give you no chance whatsoever."

The anomaly then shot up with a brutal roundhouse kick that knocked some of Larxene's teeth out. Hi-Jax followed it up with sword attacks, fireballs and a fierce uppercut that sent her rocketing into the air. The anomaly then levitated off the ground, an aura of light and dark energy emitting from his body.

Channelling his power, the anomaly flew at high-speed to attack Larxene. Flash after flash, Hi-Jax came in repeatedly with a dashing sword strike, a sword/kick/punch combination, a colossal fireball, battering pillars of darkness and then finishing it all off by fashioning his double-scythe throwing weapon and hurling it at Larxene.

The combination attack was monstrously brutal. And the result was Larxene's beaten body falling from the sky and landing with a sick thud. Hi-Jax's feet gently touched the ground as his weapon faded away in withdrawal. Approaching the Savage Nymph's fallen body, Hi-Jax slowly grabbed her roughly by the hair and picked her up so she could face him.

Without warning, Larxene's seemingly limp body sprung back to life. She grabbed Hi-Jax's arm and drew his body to him…

With her daggers once again in-between her clenched fingers.

Hi-Jax's reflexes blocked the death strike, but poorly. He seethed in great pain, grinding his teeth before looking to see Larxene's daggers impaled right through his forearm.

"Way to block a blade, 'hero'!" laughed No. 12, mockingly.

"Touché," Hi-Jax grinned back.

Realisation then came with pain for Larxene. She looked to her side to see Hi-Jax's blade having gone through it. Grimacing in slow agony, she turned to face the grinning anomaly. Now it was his turn to laugh.

"Gotcha."

Both warriors pulled their blades from one another's bodies. Kicking away one another, they both looked to see the blood dripping from their wounds. Then they looked to face one another.

"Say 'I give in' now…and _maybe _I'll make it painless for you," offered Hi-Jax, venomously.

"Same old Adam, same old idiot, some old _loser_," cackled the Savage Nymph cruelly. "Don't you _get it_? You _can't _win. You couldn't stop me from erasing your family and kingdom, you couldn't kill me in Castle Oblivion and you can't stop me here and now. You had to have Sora to finish me for you, didn't you? And that eats away at you, doesn't it, cry-baby? Well that's too bad…'cause you can't beat me. So accept it, pucker up and kiss my…"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" yelled Hi-Jax, angrily.

"This is _not _a game, Hi-Jax," explained Vexen as he faded back into existence. "You cannot win or defy the truth any longer. Either you accept us as your masters…or you let your hatred be the death of you."

Hi-Jax could only watch as his fingers incredibly snapped themselves to summon a horde of Dusks that surrounded him. His loss of control contributed to his shock. The shock was fleeting, though. Soon to be replaced by his overwhelming hatred for Vexen and Larxene, the architects of Adam's downfall and the evolution into what he was now.

Then realization kicked in.

All these Nobodies that he was facing…an alarming number. If he opposed them all, here and now, it would undoubtedly be his last stand. Hi-Jax knew that this was it, knew that death was literally opposite him. And he realised that he wasn't afraid to die to spite the Organization.

But he also realised that he _couldn't _die. Not today, not until he'd avenged himself. Reunited with his friends, gotten his answers…there was still too much to do.

Furthermore, the Dusks _he himself _had summoned here…the same ones he had summoned back in Metroville. Vexen and Larxene both dead, destroyed by Axel and Sora twelve months ago. The damage to his surroundings, the Nobodies only he, not his friends, could see…

_I never did get my revenge, _realised Hi-Jax. _And it sucks. Scales of justice were never balanced…no. That's not true. At the end of the day…both Larxene and Vexen DID pay for their crimes. Justice WAS served._

Breathing in deep, Hi-Jax sighed and then withdrew his swords.

And stood up straight.

"I knew you'd come round," smiled Vexen. "On behalf of Organization XIII, I officially welcome you to our ranks. Your first assignment…"

"You can go now," interrupted the anomaly, happily.

Vexen and Larxene looked at one another, absolutely bewildered.

"You still don't get it, you little brat," explained Larxene evilly. "You've accepted that it's over. So that means…"

"_No_, Larxene," Hi-Jax calmly replied. "_You _still don't get it. I don't care anymore that I wasn't the one to finish you both. I accept that. What matters is that you both got what was coming to you. You're both dead. And unlike you, I won't go to _my _grave full of hate…because that's not worth dying for. All it does is consume you, stop you from achieving your goals. And I have you two to thank for proving that to me."

The Dusks then faded away back into nothingness, one by one. The sight made Vexen and Larxene gasp in horror. This wasn't the way the experiment was supposed to have gone.

"I'm done being enslaved by the past," admitted the teenage exile finally. "It's time for me to move on. Here and now are important, as is my future. What's done is done. That's why I'm letting my hatred for both of you go. That's why I'm letting my desire for impossible retribution go. That's why I'm letting _you two _go."

"No, you can't!" protested Vexen, fading away.

"It's your _job _to hate us, Hi-Jax!" yelled Larxene desperately as she brandished her knives to charge at him once more. Not rising to debate and conflict, the anomaly just furthered, "My job is my own, not the one the Organization believe they gave me. My quest so far…I thank you two…_and _Xemnas for what you've done. You've balanced Adam's destruction…by giving _me_, Hi-Jax, a chance to rebuild my life. And as such…I _forgive _you. _Both _of you."

"No!" screamed the Chilly Academic. "Hi-Jax, please! I don't _want _you to forgive us! Please, my son! I don't want to die forever! PLEAAAA…!"

"You _can't _forgive us!" cried out the Savage Nymph in denial. "I won't allow it! It's not possible! It's not…NOOOOOOOOOO…!"

Both 'Vexen' and 'Larxene' faded away. Both nothing but bad memories, laid to rest and things of the past. Both of them demons now exorcised.

Both revealed for what they truly were.

Hi-Jax, blissfully refreshed and now at peace with himself, removed his shades to allow the tears of joy to escape from his eyes.

"I _forgive _you," he repeated, smiling.

"Congratulations, Hi-Jax."

The anomaly, instantly recognising the voice, turned round to face the arrival.

"You've passed your most important test," complimented DiZ. "You have successfully won the battle against your past. Accepted the truth and found the strength to move on. As I _knew _you would."

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in confusion at first, but he soon nodded in understanding.

"When we first met," remembered the teenager. "When you suggested the idea of me joining the Organization."

"Your answer at that time foretold your refusal to live in their shadow. It has been a long trek to get out and never look back…but now you are free. There is nothing more to teach you. It is time for you to carve out your _own _destiny, seek your _own _answers…and win your _own _battles. Without Xemnas or myself to interfere."

The old Hi-Jax would've instantly gone for DiZ, demanding answers and no more subjection to games. But now, the anomaly understood. DiZ had showed him the path, just like he had done for Riku. And like Riku, Hi-Jax had to walk down the road himself.

He had left the crossroads now…and there was no need to look back.

Putting his shades back on, Hi-Jax smiled and bowed.

"DiZ…thank you."

The masked stranger smiled and nodded.

"Like Riku, you've tamed the beast within. Waged the inner battle and triumphed. And used the aftermath…to make you better and stronger. Clearly, I have nothing left to show you…or teach you."

DiZ extended his hand out towards the anomaly. A dark green aura radiated from Hi-Jax's being. It soon subsided, but Hi-Jax felt the change. It was big, and without knowing it, the teenager summoned a dark replica of Vexen's shield to his right arm, and light replicas' of Larxene's daggers to his left hand.

"As Riku conquered Ansem to make him stronger…" realised Hi-Jax, admiring his new abilities and weapons, "I finally conquered Larxene and Vexen to make me stronger."

"The road will nonetheless become harder with each passing step," warned DiZ as he walked into the dark portal. "I advise you to never lose sight of your mission, the caution you must maintain, what you want, what you must…and who you are. Farewell, Hi-Jax."

"Farewell, DiZ. I shall not forget."

The crimson-one faded away from sight.

And Hi-Jax had never been more content.

* * *

"Sorry, Xemnas," shrugged Xigbar in his chair. "The stubborn little cretin won't _ever _take the hint. Don't ask me _how_."

"So Vexen's primary failsafe failed, after all." remarked Saïx. "That is unfortunate, especially after such promise, uncharacteristic of Vexen's science. Let us hope this is not a signal of what is to come."

"Vexen's project _still _has merit," pointed out Xemnas. "Do not forget…Hi-Jax will _still _carry out his mission to destroy Sharak. It's his mission, his destiny…before we _officially _made it so. It was in his best interests before it became ours. His role is no different than Sora's. His bidding is the same as ours, and he will do it regardless of whether or not we actually control him. _Our _hand guides and plays all the fools. It is simply the way of things."

"And Sharak's forces?" asked Xigbar. "They're not like Maleficent's. They could get ridiculously out of hand and turn ugly real fast."

"Hi-Jax won't let that happen. How can he? And when he crushes Sharak…he'll at last see the darkness. _Our _darkness. As it is…_we're _still in the lead."

* * *

"And so when Drakken finished translating the code I scanned from Hi-Jax's data," explained Coldstone, "it read out as Vexen and Larxene. _Slain _members of the Organization."

"In other words…he was hallucinating," Karall finished the report.

"It all makes sense," said Ilxsa.

"Indeed it does," agreed Sharak, sat in his throne. "_Very _clever indeed. You've both done well to inform of this."

"Master? Forgive me, but I don't understand."

"It's quite simple, Karall," explained the contaminated darkness. "Larxene and Vexen 'returned' because of Hi-Jax. Because he had never got his revenge on those who had undone his life, it made him subconsciously bitter. Because of the extreme nature of his power, that brought life to his past demons. But now he is at peace with himself, they no longer have power over him. If Hi-Jax had succumbed, he would now be completely under Organization XIII control."

Amused, Sharak chuckled, "Interesting how 'great' minds steal one's tactics."

The creature then rose from his throne to leave the throne.

"Come, my followers. Drakken will have finished the Kim Possible replication by now. And we still have much work to do."

* * *

Back in Traverse Town, Hi-Jax had established contact with Wade, who determined exactly which computer in the café had received the information from Drakken. Sure enough, the scientist had left a trail, and Wade had been able to trace it back to Sharak's computer. Wade made sure to save a copy of the link to work on at a later date. It had been broken deliberately to block intruders, but Wade knew he could repair it to (hopefully) find a way back into Sharak's computer one day.

Hi-Jax had been hoping to find the opening he needed to find and get inside the Organization's computer.

But his and Wade's original assumption had been wrong.

"It was _DiZ's _computer Drakken hacked into?!"

"_That's what the readout says," _confirmed Wade, typing away.

"Well…" thought Hi-Jax out loud, as he took a gulp of coffee from his mug, "DiZ is bound to know about the Organization's plans…so I suppose it doesn't make _that _much difference. Shame we can't decrypt more of that info Drakken sent to here. That'd give us more of a clue exactly _who _Sharak was helping. And more importantly _why_."

"_I bet you a pizza and a soda that whoever Sharak was helping, the Organization wanted him or her."_

"That'd certainly corroborate that Dusk invasion a few weeks back. So whoever used this terminal obviously had something that Sharak wanted."

"She was such a nice girl. So sad she couldn't remember a thing."

Hi-Jax's ears pricked up with interest. Turning his head slightly, he focused on the conversation between two other customers with interest.

"I know. Scared out of her mind after being chased by those white things…"

_Bingo, _realised Hi-Jax.

"Yeah, sat at that computer where that nice Hi-Jax boy is sitting now, then ran out of the café like she'd just seen a ghost. Summit clearly up with her."

"So nice, though. Couldn't pay for food and drink, felt she couldn't take it, but definitely needed…"

Hi-Jax looked deep into the hearts of the customers to see the memory of the girl buried deep.

She was the one who Sharak had helped. The one he'd had Drakken supply with all that information from DiZ's computer.

Hi-Jax saw the vision of the teenage girl.

She looked awfully familiar to him. It was almost as if he actually knew this person from somewhere before…

"_Hi-Jax? You there?"_

Snapping to attention, Hi-Jax answered, "Wade, I think I may know who Sharak supplied that information to."

"_Who?"_

"I'll explain on the way," said the anomaly, finishing off his coffee, leaving his munny on the tray next to the bill, and disconnecting his H.J.F.M. from the computer, putting the communicator back in his pocket. Giving his thanks to the staff, the anomaly left the café. Stepping back outside into the first district, Hi-Jax opened a portal to take him to the next world.


	12. Chapter 12: When Leaders Clash

**_Author's note: Here again! First of all, thanks so much to those who wrote feedback. I'm really glad you're enjoying my tale and are hooked. Thanks again and please continue to let me know what you think of the story._**

**_Keep reading and expect some more surprises along the way._**

**_D.C. Wood (17/5/08)_**

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 12: When Leaders Clash**

Tendrils of light penetrated and coursed through the Dusk's body. The pain was intense and made it twitch in suffering. Another Nobody rushed in to attack and to save its comrade.

A dark mace swatted it away, both violently and contemptuously.

More Dusks materialised out of the ground, surrounding their target.

Or rather…their _capturer_ and _tormenter_.

He stopped torturing the mindless Nobody by releasing it from his grasp. Its ravaged body fell to the ground, where it crumbled back into oblivion. The light faded back into his being. He just stood stock still on the spot, focused, relaxed and in control. Not succumbing to rage and unrestrained savagery. Just pure, professional contempt.

The Nobodies charged for him, all at once.

As soon as they where within striking distance…

He destroyed them all.

A surrounding barricade of light stopped them all dead. The battering force flung the Dusks far across the room. Each of their bodies landed with a sickening thud.

Where they all disintegrated thanks to the pillar of darkness.

The master of the castle stood tall and triumphant. He was the proven victor, all fell before him. Even his greatest enemy had bowed before him, enslaved to his will.

His revelling, though…was short-lived.

The light burst out of the darkness, erasing his being, causing him tremendous pain, bringing him to his knees, threatening to spell out his destruction…

Reminding him that he could never win.

He screamed in despair, agony, hatred and confusion, not understanding why this was happening. He had conquered his fears, accepted and embraced them as his demons, knowing they had to be there to ensure survival.

So why was this happening to him?

The master of the castle, wounded like a mad dog, his disease flaring, was on all fours struggling for breath and control. He looked at the cracks and holes of light in his dark being, then looked up to see his advisor in understanding.

"It _knows_," seethed Sharak, a painful tear falling from his eye. "It knows what I'm doing."

"Light has always been transparently easy to manipulate," explained Magica. "The darkness uses it to do its bidding, unknowingly or unwillingly at first. But sooner or later, it discovers the truth, learns how to fight back and rebel. Then the light becomes a puppet no longer. It gains resolve and desire for retribution…and will become the darkness's destroyer."

The Sharak of old would've fallen into rage, denial and frustration over words like that. But the old had long given way to the new. Today's Sharak just concentrated on withstanding the pain, and discussing with the sorceress.

"I…already…_know _that. From _past_…experience."

"Then you also know that light and darkness are always intertwined with one another, linked together in a chain that cannot be broken. And whenever motives are unclear, shrouded in darkest mystery…answers eventually come to light. And when that happens, you are revealed for what you truly are. Not a restrained, impartial, knowledgeable ruler and general…merely an insane, dictatorial, would-be conqueror and _beast_."

With those words, the light gained more power, painfully altering Sharak's form from refined, controlled humanoid…to savage, nightmarish dog from hell.

This incarnation had led to madness and defeat in his New Era of Darkness.

It was the incarnation of a monster.

Sharak confronted this truth.

He faced the pain, the fact of nature, the truth regarding balance and opposites…

And _laughed_.

"So?! I already know all this! I've _always _been aware of what I am, have been and forever will be! Is this truth meant to crush me? Stupid light! I'm proud of who I am! If that's your best shot, then you're no better than I am. You burn brightly. _Too _brightly. That's evidence of your desperation and passion to see me gone. You relent and tire. I ultimately do not. And that's when you fade…and I triumph."

With those words of understanding and truth, the defeated light within Sharak submitted to his will. The creature's wounds healed in dark supremacy, whereas the painful light faded in defeat.

The session over, the emperor rose to his feet. The pleased Magica approached him.

"Good. _Very _good. Now you're ready for whatever all those fools throw at you."

"That is still not sufficient enough," rebutted Sharak respectfully. "My philosophies and mindset may have changed for the better but my weaknesses have not."

"You've used your weaknesses to make you stronger," reminded Magica.

"True, but what these sessions have also proved is that as long as the light shines within me, I can never become unmatched. Defeat is not an option for me this time. The only way that fate can be averted is that I become the superior of all once again."

"I understand the need to regain your purity, Sharak. That way you can really show them all who's boss. But I must ask…do you consider yourself _- honestly - _ready to engage Hi-Jax in battle."

"Not yet," the emperor replied. "But I must start somewhere. For now, I will allow Karall and Coldstone to proceed with their scheme to bring in the Organization's living cure. Come, I want an assessment of the current status of my forces. And I believe the time has now come to drop by at Xemnas' house and say 'hello'."

* * *

NAME: ILXSA

RANK: SECOND-IN-COMMAND

NAME: DOCTOR DRAKKEN

RANK: CHIEF SCIENTIST

NAME: MAGICA

RANK: SORCERESS/CHIEF-ADVISOR

NAME: SHEGO

RANK: WARRIOR/SUB-lieutenant

NAME: REFLECTION

RANK: WARRIOR/SUB-LIEUTENANT

NAME: COLDSTONE

RANK: SOLDIER

NAME: KARALL

RANK: TROOPER

NAME: MIKI

RANK: TROOPER/INFILTRATOR

"'Miki'?"

"The name of your delightful little Kim Possible replica, my liege," explained Drakken in sinister delight.

"I was already aware that you could only have provided a name I didn't recognise to my newest recruit," said Sharak, turning away from the computer readout. "I was questioning the _reason _behind that particular name."

"Well…" began the scientist, anxiously scratching his head as he prepared to confess something, "Vexen's notes were rather…difficult to understand. And because this was such an advanced form of cloning…not the easy and disastrous kind that I've used in the past…the replica's first words were…'I - Kim."

Sharak's eyes narrowed at Drakken.

"I - I managed to get my head round the intelligence/memory manipulation instructions, don't worry!" assured Drakken confidently. Proud of himself, he finished explaining, "And then, I thought 'I, Kim' spelt _backwards_…"

Sharak let loose an amused laugh. Pleased, the dark ruler commended his chief scientist.

"Ah, yes. Brilliant as always. From a comedy viewpoint, anyway. Bring her forward."

Drakken proudly presented his creation, who stepped out of the shadows into more visible lighting. She was an exact duplicate of Kim Possible. Build, size, height, weight, voice, fighting style, intelligence levels…even her heart was exactly the same. If Sharak wasn't already aware that this was an artificial replica before him, even he could've been fooled.

The replica was complete in every detail.

Well, almost. There were a few distinguishing and subtle differences. The first was that her eyes were blood red instead of green. The second was that the battle suit she was wearing (an exact replica of Kim's very own hi-tech battle suit), was coloured black and red instead of white and blue.

"_This _time…" explained Drakken through grinning teeth as he placed his hands on Miki, "Little Miss Perfect has truly been perfected."

"Promising," observed Sharak. "But Possible's data is plagued with _faults_. How have you _rectified _them?"

"Permission to speak, master," smiled Miki, evilly.

"Granted," replied the creature, noting that the replica's formality was a quality that Kim sorely lacked.

"Give me a job…_any _job, and I'll do it without question. After all…I can do _anything_."

"Such confidence. A natural positive _copied _from the _original_. But _negatives_ can be copied, too. For instance…what would happen if I referred to you by some sort of cringingly embarrassing term? One that is so sickeningly sweet…and ridiculously pathetic. Would you like that…my little Kimmy-Cub?"

Drakken, Shego and Magica all burst out laughing at mention of that stupid nickname. The cruelly honest howls echoed throughout the computer room. All the while, Sharak observing Miki, waiting for her reaction.

Which was…

"Sticks and stones, yadda - yadda - yadda, boss," smirked the replica in response. "Besides…that stupid sentiment only applies to Daddy's little girls. The ones who actually give a damn."

Sharak felt a great sense of pride.

"She _knows _what she is? And she _accepts_?"

"I amplified the defining data that makes Possible strive to be perfect to the _nth_ degree," Drakken continued, smiling slyly. "The way _she _sees it, no family and friends to care for, no stupid boy love to hamper her, no childish rivalries to distract her, no life other than the one _we _provide her, opinions of others means _nothing _to her, she accepts that evil _always _wins in the end, so she's got it great working for the winning team, and the fact that she's a replica is something she's _long _gotten over."

"I'm more than just a replica, boss," Miki arrogantly boasted. "I'm the A.I. that actually _learns _from mistakes. I'm the sequel that's bigger and badder than the original. I've _got _nothing to hold me back. I'm _truly _the most perfect gal you've got fighting for you."

Shego widened an eye at her.

"I am convinced…" remarked Sharak, impressed, "but only on one level. Just how obedient are you?"

"You _make _me perfect, master," pledged Miki as she knelt before her leader. "And obeying you makes me practically perfect in every way."

"Did you notice that's she far too ugly to be Mary Poppins?" Shego muttered to Magica.

"A little _silence_ from you, please," the contaminated darkness ordered as he looked over his shoulder to Shego, eyes blaring. The mercenary shut her mouth instantly.

"Satisfactory, my new servant. You may rise. Drakken…you _continue _to excel."

"Thank you, my _glorious _liege!" swooned the mad scientist. "Your praise means the entire world to me!"

"Obviously. To you and to all who may serve me. Now…we have…"

"Sharak," alerted Ilxsa as she teleported into the computer room. "I apologise for the interruption, but a most urgent matter has arisen. With respect, it is one that must be dealt with at once."

Knowing that the Darkest Exile's logic was always impeccable, the contaminated darkness overlooked the intrusion to listen to the Nobody's news.

"Report," he commanded.

"Reflection has gone absent without leave."

The news wasn't well received.

"Where to?!" roared Sharak in outrage. The volume of his bellow startled Drakken, Shego and Magica. Only Ilxsa and Miki remained still, truthfully unafraid.

"Unknown," said Ilxsa. "He's somehow changed his neural patterns to block my telepathy. I cannot reach him."

"Computer! Scan for whereabouts of unit 'Reflection'!"

"_Scanning…"_

The computer's search took longer than expected. Usually, searches only took five to ten seconds, but this was taking _minutes_ longer than it should. As the computer checked and rechecked all data available required to complete its search, Sharak's frustration grew and grew. Some of his followers backed away from him in case he lashed out. Everyone in the room knew that the result would not be the one the creature wanted.

Eventually, the computer reported, _"Data error! Unable to complete requested search! Scan aborted. Unit 'Reflection' has been shielded from all forms of detection."_

Absolutely irate, Sharak pressed his finger hard on the console's control panel.

"Sharak to Reflection!" yelled the contaminated darkness into the communication channel. "Respond at _once_!"

No reply came.

"Blast that stuck-up aristocrat!" expressed the creature in a fierce outburst before calming down to add, "Ever since his change of heart he continually dares to defy me."

"You want him toasted, boss?" asked Shego, somewhat eager to oblige.

"Not yet. Hmm…he's _obviously _planning something."

Taking a moment to think about Reflection's actions, his possible motives for deserting and working behind his leader's back, and what he could be up to, Sharak turned to his followers.

"Find Reflection. I want to know _exactly _what he's doing and whether it can be can used in my favour."

"But we don't know where is," pointed out Magica.

"Oh, I know _exactly _where he's gone to," nodded Sharak, eyes blaring brightly.

"Of course," said Ilxsa, sharing her master's thoughts. "It's the only place he could go to."

"Which _is_?" asked Shego.

"Miki, as an ideal first test of your capabilities…I have the perfect field mission for you."

* * *

Twilight Town, DiZ's Mansion.

Reflection had been able to infiltrate the masked stranger's abandoned home with such ease. It hadn't surprised the shape-shifter. Given the frenetic Nobody activity in Roxas' final days, it made sense that DiZ, Ansem and their enigmatic accomplice had all taken off. Their former base of operations was no longer safe thanks to Organization XIII.

The shape-shifter had almost felt like thanking his one-time captors and tormentors. After raiding his one-time home, this _very _mansion, capturing him for their experiments, the Nobodies had finally given him the chance to come home after all these years.

The instant he entered the Mansion Foyer, Reflection had been appalled that DiZ hadn't done anything to tidy up the mess in his ruined home. But then again, given the circumstances, it hardly mattered.

DiZ and his colleagues had obviously been forced to depart in a hurried manner. All the defences had been left or rendered deactivated and the stairway to the Computer Room was wide open. Within minutes, Reflection was the new master of DiZ's computer. And it was a prize that merited such respect for the masked stranger's amazing genius

Unlike Drakken, it was merely a matter of seconds for Reflection to get past all the access codes and defence systems. It was all here. A complete ENCOM mainframe-computer system, everything regarding Organization XIII's plans, Ansem's reports every single Chronicle, data-entry regarding Heartless, Nobodies, worlds and their inhabitants, blueprints for all kinds of weapons and devices…

And best of all…was the special capture program to replicate data from real hearts.

"Thank you, DiZ," said Reflection, chuckling to himself as he pressed the eject button on the console. "Thank you, Xemnas…and last but definitely far from least…thank you, Sharak and Hi-Jax."

Reflection's disc popped out of DiZ's computer, now complete and full with everything the shape-shifting aristocrat needed.

"You've all thoughtfully given me the tools to build an empire of my own. Now, I believe it's best to ensure no one else gets their hands on all this treasure. So…"

The blast was hard, sudden, surprising and painful. And it was also _warning_. Reflection, disc still securely in his hand, turned painfully around to face his attacker.

"Nothing gets your attention quite like the ol' stun blast to the shoulder…does it, Reflection?" smiled Miki sweetly, her fist smoking and pointed at the aristocrat.

"Possi…? Oh. That working-class toad Drakken finally finished his childish cloning experiment, did he?"

"Not childish. New and improved," she smirked in response. "Still wasting our time and resources? Still going behind our backs for your own selfish projects? Tsk, tsk, tsk…we're very disappointed. BTW…your _leader _wants _so _SERIOUS words with you. So, hands up in the air. And FYI…I've got orders to drop you if you misbehave."

"'BTW'. 'FYI'," muttered Reflection contemptuously as he obliged Miki's orders. "What ridiculous slang these childish peasants come out with today."

Ignoring him, Miki radioed Sharak via her wrist communicator.

"Miki to Sharak…I've got our runaway layabout. And he's got something that…"

Reflection launched a dark fireball at Miki, who just as suddenly ceased her communication, restructured her battle-suit arm to catch the fireball and hurl it back at the shape-shifter. Surprised, the aristocrat took the fireball in the chest and fell to his knees.

"Oh, _p-_lease!" mocked the replica as she lunged for the traitor. "That sucker-punch is such a one-trick pony. Doesn't work on the new and improved."

Reflection noted how Miki's physical attributes and truly been bought to perfection. With no conscience or negativity to hold her back, _this _Kim Possible was so much stronger and quicker than the original. The blows rattled the dark-shape shifter, threatening to send him deep into sub consciousness.

"You misbehaved," Miki smirked, relentless in her attack, "so now you're gonna have to be beaten by a girl. Hope you can _die _with that."

"Fraudulent little tramp," snarled the aristocrat as he caught Miki's fist, morphed into a bull-like creature and rammed hard into the replica's mid-section. The blow sent her flying across the room, where she impacted hard against the wall. Her battle-suit protected her, though and she soon fully healed/recovered in seconds.

"If Sharak sends a pitiful pretender like you to try and dispose of _me_," remarked the shape-shifter as he assumed Kim Possible's form, attacking her with fast and fierce blows, "then that only proves how much of a jealous has-been he truly is. One that's far beneath the aristocracy."

'Kim's' blows struck Miki again and again, along with the taunts.

"The _real _Possible wasn't 'all that' so ergo, her mere _cheap copy_ is even less. Just a mere tool, a childish weapon, destined for misery and death like the ill-famed Riku Replica, all grown out of one of Drakken's cute little Petri dishes."

"Sticks and stones don't break my bones, reject," giggled Miki as she all too soon started evading the blows. Before _blocking_ them with one hand. And knocking the shape-shifter for six with a violent spin-kick."

"And neither do words."

Reflection assumed the form of Sora, complete with Keyblade. Miki just kicked the weapon out of his hands and head butted him. Reflection then shifted into the appearance of a Clunker Heartless but Miki, empowered by her battle-suit, just battered the creature, ripped away the pieces of armour-plating like tissue paper and pounded the sickly, pulsating Heartless flesh like it was nothing to her.

Now laid out on the floor, Reflection struggled to get back to his feet. Miki's foot stomped down hard on the creature's chest, pinning him down.

"All those faces and you hadda go for repeats. How yesterday's news. Just like you. Since you like mind-games so much, though, here's a nice little thought to keep you company in the empty nothing…I _so _owned you. Bye-bye, traitor!"

As the replica charged up an energy blast in her fist, a Nobody sprang out through the wall, spiralling towards Miki. Not even looking, she struck out behind her to destroy it.

The fact that her arm had passed nothing but a mere fabrication caught her off-guard. Chuckling, Reflection morphed into a shadow that quickly trailed across the floor towards the control panel. The shadow reached the keys, the force of it pressing them down in sequence and activating the gateway into the digital Twilight Town. Resuming his solid, tangible humanoid form, Reflection darted for the energy beam.

"Farewell for now, madam!" chortled the dark aristocrat. Irritated that she'd allowed herself to be caught off-guard for a brief moment, Miki chased after the traitor. Within seconds, she was now in the digital Twilight Town.

But there was no sign of Reflection anyway.

Miki looked back to the computer, it had been totally trashed by Roxas. And the energy beam back into the real Twilight Town had dissipated, stranding Miki.

"Nice one, Reflection," she smiled in approval, "But 'I can do anything' also includes getting out of impossible situations."

Soon enough, Miki entered the Basement Hall.

And saw a black and green portal of light.

"Spankin'."

The Kim replica entered and found herself in the realm known only as Betwixt and Between. The sight of Nobody symbols floating everywhere, along the walls and floor, brought a smile to Miki's face.

"Double spankin'."

Entering the portal at the end of the abyss, Miki soon found herself…

In the World That Never Was.

The home of Organization XIII.

"_Triple _spankin'? Who'd a' thunk it?" she said, very pleased with herself.

"_Miki?" _boomed Sharak's voice via the radio link. _"What's going on? Report!"_

"Sorry, boss," she replied, "Reflection got away. But I did get you a _sweet _consolation prize."

* * *

"Excellent!" approved the fallen emperor upon hearing the news. "Miki, you are to be commended and rewarded for your loyalty and efficiency. Stand down and await further orders."

"_Yes, sir!"_

"Computer! Pinpoint source of unit 'Miki's' transmission and lock coordinates for that world."

"_Complying…"_

"What do you want us to do regarding Reflection?" asked Ilxsa.

Sharak turned icily to his second-in-command and coldly said, "He's _dead _to us."

"Do you want me to go to Twilight Town to find out exactly what he discovered?"

"Certainly."

The Darkest Ilxsa bowed and subsequently teleported away.

"_Request fulfilled," _announced the computer. _"Coordinates for "The World That Never Was"…successfully locked."_

"Drakken…kindly summon a portal and an invasion force, please. Shego…with me."

Sharak's eyes blared in sinister satisfaction.

"Time to pay Xemnas a long overdue visit."

* * *

Back in the Organization's homeworld, though, Miki's presence had let the Nobodies know in advance that Sharak was coming.

She had naturally and instinctively stayed hidden and out-of-sight…

But _nothing _enters their homeworld undetected.

And not even the _perfect _infiltrator could break that trend.

Dusks emerged from the ground to attack. Or rather _try _and attack. The Kim Possible replica easily dispatched those that opposed her. But just as easily, more Dusks came spiralling out of nowhere to kill her. Firing a line from her battle suit, Miki swung up to the rooftops to a safe regroup position, her feet kicking several incoming Nobodies hard and faraway into nearby rubbish bins.

"Bossman," radioed Miki, "they _really _don't like unwelcome guests."

"_Likewise. Do not concern yourself…they'll soon know what it FEELS like."_

"Gotcha," she smirked.

Turning round to face three Dragoons that had just materialised, Miki casually sidestepped the first lance-lunge, grabbed it, kicked the creature away to steal the weapon and then span round to throw it right into the Dragoon's chest. Before the dead creature faded away, Miki leapt up to it, spring boarded off the weapon still impaled in its chest and landed right on the back of another Dragoon.

Smiling, she snapped its neck with cold, ruthless efficiency and then rolled in mid-air towards the final Nobody before unfolding and delivering a double energy-blast that destroyed it in seconds.

The last warrior standing for the moment, Miki folded her arms, arrogantly waiting for the next challenge.

Which came in the form of clapping from the other end of the rooftop.

"Commendable," remarked Xaldin, as he emerged from the shadows to reveal himself. "Sharak certainly knows our handiwork well enough to steal it from us."

"Still recognise Vexen's genius?" smiled Miki, placing her hand over her chest, genuinely flattered. "I'm touched."

"We _never _forget. And we like to keep up-to-date on all happenings around the world. Especially Sharak and his advanced meddling."

"Likewise, Xaldin. Don't you have a _Beast _to try and turn?"

"In good time, miss…?"

"Miki."

"You might as well be called dead, little trespasser," remarked the Whirlwind Lancer, summoning his lances.

"I very much _doubt _that, Mr Soon-To-Be-Deader-Than-You-Already-Are," smirked the replica.

"Humph."

Using his powers, Xaldin launched a lance at Miki. Inches before it could connect, she sidestepped, caught the lance, twirled it round spectacularly in her hands, and pole-jumped towards her foe.

"Your reflexes are superb," complimented No. 3 as he quickly evaded the fast, thrusting stab attempts before finally blocking a strike with two lances. A mini-tornado sent the lance spiralling out of Miki's grasp along with the other two. The replica back-flipped to get some breathing space, while the skyward lances teleported back to Xaldin. Using a wind tunnel to support himself and the other three lances surrounding him, the Whirlwind Lancer flew towards Miki, sending his lances thrusting in to impale her.

But Miki just as easily evaded and deflected the death strikes.

"Truly superb," remarked Xaldin again.

"Thanks," smirked Miki.

Xaldin retracted his lances and used them to shield himself from Miki's punches and kicks. Anticipating the wind attack that followed, Miki rolled with it, away from Xaldin and landed gracefully on her feet. The Nobody sent his weapons in her direction again, one after the next. She just smiled again as she high-jumped and spring-boarded off each of the lances towards lances. Her heel connected sharply with Xaldin's jaw, making him bleed.

"Marco," she smiled.

Towering before her as he nursed his jaw and wiped the blood away on his coat sleeve, Xaldin looked down and chuckled.

"Polo," No. 3 smiled back.

Sensing two more lances charging towards her, Miki just ducked, grabbed them both and clashed with Xaldin again as his remaining lances returned to his possession. The Kim Possible replica and the Whirlwind Lancer exchanged spectacular blows, one somersaulting, rolling, weaving and swinging gracefully, the other teleporting, shielding and striking with calculation and power.

All the while…

"Marco."

"Polo."

"Marco."

"Polo."

* * *

_How predictable of you, Reflection,_ thought Ilxsa as she typed away on the keyboard. The traitor had somehow changed the encryption codes to stop anyone else from discovering what he'd learned.

And exactly _where _he'd retreated to.

_The information and whereabouts are irrelevant for the moment. We'll know in due time. At least entry into the alternate Twilight Town is still viable. Best to return to Sharak and aid in the invasion._

As Ilxsa turned to leave, she noticed Axel leaning up against the wall to her right. The Flurry of Dancing Flames smiled and waved respectfully at her.

"Hey there. You're Ilxsa, right? As _you _obviously know…I'm Axel."

The Darkest Exile just summoned a sai dagger.

"Easy, kiddo," calmed Axel, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm just here to talk."

"Most of the time, talk is a triviality designed to distract and delay one from logical conflict and necessary execution."

Axel just stared at her, appearing to be disgusted and saddened.

"Is _this _what Sharak did to you?" he sighed, putting his hand over his face.

"Sharak made me realise what I _am_," Ilxsa retorted. "Anything else for a Nobody is delusion. And that is a fact no one can deny. Not even you, renegade."

Axel removed the hand from his face to look intently at the hooded Unknown again.

"So you know I'm not with them anymore, huh?"

"Very little escapes Sharak's attention. Or the Organization's for that matter. As you obviously know."

"Yeah. I _obviously _know," mocked No. 8. "Just like I know that you know why I'm still alive."

"Riku's heart was always his weakness," replied Ilxsa. "Now, I tire of this meaningless conversation. If you are not here to fight, then…"

"Do you know what _your _weakness is, Ilxsa? Actually, you've got _two_. First is the fact you haven't even got a heart. And second, which is most important…you've _forgotten _what it feels like. Or rather…Sharak has _made _you forget."

Ilxsa paused.

And stared at Axel.

Slowly, she lowered her sai.

"Do you still care about getting your memories back? Do you want to have a heart again? 'Cos the way you've been acting since Sharak found you…kind of gives one the implication that you _don't _care about anything anymore."

"Serving Sharak is my only chance," the Darkest Ilxsa retorted, her sai fading away.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you remembered what he did to you in the _first place_, kid."

"I _know _that he…"

"Once used you to torture Adam and Jaron. But you still don't remember _all _of it. And you're still being used to torture them now."

"Jaron is…"

"My _point_," sighed Axel, running his hand through his hair and looking sadly at the Unknown teenager, "is _this_. I'm saying all this to _help _you. 'Cos believe it or not, I _like _you, kid. We're _both _outcasts, both have people we care about, and both know, deep down inside our shells, that going with either Xemnas or Sharak _isn't _the way to go. The difference is that it's not too late for you. And it pains me, _genuinely_, to see you act like a glorified robot when you're so much more than that. _Not _having a personality isn't fun. In fact, it kinda blows. Just as much as you being used as a glorified toy to hurt your own kind. That's no different than what the Organization is doing with the Heartless."

Ilxsa contemplated Axel's words long and hard. She reached for her hood and thought about pulling it down.

"Just think about what I said, kid," advised No. 8, waving goodbye and turning to leave.

"Why did you choose to _not _forget, Axel?" asked the female Nobody, stopping him from leaving. "Was it Roxas?"

Looking back at her, the Flurry of Dancing Flames responded, "Yeah. It was."

"Then you're very lucky. I don't have any friends in Sharak's army."

Axel lowered his head in reflection and smiled.

"Yeah. Guess I am."

"Who was I?" asked Ilxsa.

"You know. You just gotta finish off the math. Got it memorized?"

"Yes."

"Take care, Ilxsa."

As Axel teleported away, Ilxsa was lost in deep thought. Thinking logically…this had been a necessary development. Her quest for her memories and a heart gave her purpose, _not _serving Sharak. But Sharak was the world order in her eyes. To serve him was also logical. The _only _logical path open to her to achieve her goals.

"_Better the devil I know."_

That was what she had told Sharak when she had accepted his offer.

But what would happen _after _she got what she wanted? Would she still be serving the monster she had previously hated and feared?

Axel's words repeated in Ilxsa's mind.

"_We both know, deep down inside our shells, that going with either Xemnas or Sharak isn't the way to go. The difference is that it's not too late for you."_

"_Not having a personality isn't fun. In fact, it kinda blows."_

* * *

Conflict raged all over The World That Never Was. Every street, every square, every alley and rooftop in Dark City was occupied by war. Heartless and Nobodies of all shapes and sizes tore into one another.

The newer and deadlier breeds of Heartless, created by Drakken, devastated so many of the Nobodies. Only the Heartless and Nobodies under the Organization's control were able to drive Sharak's forces back.

And Sharak's elite lieutenants and warriors continued to clash with the Organization members.

Explosions intensified, bigger and bigger 'guns' entered the fray, the number of casualties could only rise and rise…

And when the scale of conflict between two opposing forces escalates to the highest possible level imaginable…

That's when leaders clash.

Xemnas had heard the first reports of Miki's intrusion to his kingdom.

It meant nothing.

But when reinforcements had followed, and Nobody deaths happened on the Superior's own homeland, it meant a challenge hurled in his direction. The barbaric kind that, in Xemnas' eyes, could only come from Sharak.

But the final insult…was when Sharak's eyes shone brightly, large and signalling for Xemnas to see. Then the vision of the Nobody emblem burning in flames…to be replaced by the emblem of the Heartless.

It meant enough.

Xemnas continued to walk to Memory's Skyscraper, casually, contemptuously and swiftly despatching of any Heartless that tried to ambush him. Soon enough, he arrived at the square.

Heartless and Nobodies were literally frozen in mid-combat. Then they vanished, bursting in dark clouds and particles of nothing. The hearts returned to Kingdom Hearts, the shells dispersing back into oblivion.

Xemnas looked over his shoulder to see a barrier blocking all the exits, isolating Memory's Skyscraper from the rest of the intense battling going on.

"Hello…_pretender_."

Xemnas could hear the voice as though it was right next to him.

He looked up to see Sharak standing right on top of the skyscraper.

"Sharak. Predictable as always."

"Likewise, _child_."

"Do you honestly believe I need any help to finally finish you off myself?"

"Of course you do, Xemnas. Why else would you hide behind your underlings and Hi-Jax to do something you've _never _been able to? On your own…or otherwise?"

"Because I believed you weren't worth the effort. Or even deserving of an honourable death. But seeing as how you're so desperate for oblivion at my hand…it'll give me pleasure to rip that light out of your chest…and use your darkness to finally put a leash on Hi-Jax."

"All I ever hear from your kind is talk and no action, Nobody. That indicates a lack of spine. A lack of _heart _to see things through."

"And _that _kind of talk can only be expected from the primitive and barbaric, anachronism."

Silence followed.

"I think we've exchanged enough pleasantries," decided Sharak. "Shall we?"

Xemnas charged his hand with the power of nothingness and fired a blast at the monster. The fallen emperor leapt out of harms' way, off the tower and began his descent. The Organization's leader summoned a ring of fireballs that (one-by-one) targeted the Heartless' father. Sharak just repeatedly faded in and out of existence, the fireballs either missing or harmlessly passing through him.

Sharak then reappeared behind Xemnas, grabbed his neck and squeezed hard, as he lifted him up high off the ground and began to send electricity coursing through his body. Then Sharak used the light within him to start erasing Xemnas' being.

The Superior escaped via teleportation and reappeared several feet away from his adversary. He fired two giant energy spheres at the contaminated darkness. They closed on him too quickly, and Sharak took the full brunt of their power. Xemnas closed in again, red sabres in hand…and began to get stuck in.

The vicious beams stuck at the former source of all darkness again and again with tearing force. Sharak conjured a dark shield to repel the next series of fierce blows. But Xemnas refused to relent and continued to pummel away. Each one coming closer and closer to actually breaking right through Sharak's shield.

The dark creature retaliated by teleporting himself and rocketing out of the ground and sent Xemnas flying. A dark purple aura channelled through his body as he flew in and out of the plane of existence, battering the Nobody's leader with such ferocity. When he ceased, he grabbed Xemnas' head in mid-air and slammed it hard back to ground level.

Then he clawed the Superior in uppercut fashion, sending him hurling across the square. Xemnas landed hard on his back but rolled with it, somersaulting back to his feet. He saw Sharak roaring like a wild animal in lust for blood. Having now fashioned a mammoth sword comprised of both light and dark, raised and ready to come down on Xemnas' head as the fallen emperor lunged for him.

The Nobody leader summoned his own energy shields to protect himself, but Sharak's savagery pounded away regardless, threatening to break them apart. Xemnas summoned another energy wall to try and drive Sharak away but he just ran round the wall to strike at Xemnas. No. 1 was ready for him, though, and conjured up another wall to batter the Heartless' creator. Xemnas then fired a vicious energy attack that suspended Sharak in mid-air as he drained the monster's health, taking it for himself.

"Disgusting, pitiful animal," insulted Xemnas.

The fallen emperor broke free of the energy drain and unleashed a powerful chain of fireballs that battered the Nobody's leader.

"That I am, you tedious, underachieving infant," laughed Sharak. "I have long accepted what I am. Both the good _and _the bad. But while being an animal can be bad, what's _good _about being one…is that they have _such _a delightful gift for savagery. A crucial edge in war that you have _no concept of_."

Pressing the advantage he had of the still-stunned Xemnas, Sharak's face grew a mouth. It opened wide to reveal the light within the darkness. The creature leapt onto Xemnas' shoulders…and bit right into the Superior's left arm. The sharp, jagged teeth sunk deep into the Nobody master's limb, making him cry out in pain. The Nobody's agony intensified further as the monster infected the wound with his poisonous light.

"Enough!" yelled an enraged Xemnas, as he fell backwards, slamming Sharak hard to the ground with all his weight and strength. The move stunned the creature, making him let go. Looking at his vicious bloody wound for a moment, the Nobody leader sneered and grabbed Sharak by the throat, and then repeatedly backhanded him.

"Primitive dinosaur!" belittled the Superior, as he threw his rival across the square where he impacted hard against the building's wall, creating quite a big crater. Xemnas fired another energy sphere at Sharak that damaged him even more. When it subsided, the Superior was there again, punching and kicking away at the Heartless' father again and again.

Hard.

The blows actually fractured Sharak's dark hide, making it crumble. The more dark pieces fell away, the more Sharak's light became exposed.

"This is why you're not fit to rule the world. And never truly were. For all your rantings and power, underneath your so-called superiority is just the biggest source of _weakness_ in all the realm. Old, frail, flawed, mindless…just irritating chaos that is tamed again and again to the point where it's nothing more than a cliché. Only _this _time, the animal has become so senile that it will be at last be put down, out of its misery. You're not a joke anymore, Sharak. You're a _cancer _of the world. And _we _are the cure."

"_How - DARE - you!_" snarled the fallen emperor as he clawed Xemnas violently across the face. Still injured, Sharak ignored the pain and continued to strike away at the Nobody, bruising, bloodying and scarring him.

"What do _you _know of conquest, you odious, insolent upstart?! Before you were even _born_, I was dominating and destroying all in my path for _aeons_! Whilst you were crying over forgotten memories, being the glorified errand boy for the _real deal_, I was _still _destroying and dominating those who dared to oppose me. This is, was and always will be MY world, you pathetic infant! Your order is nothing but a delusion created by the weak because you're _scared _of me. And the absence of a heart only makes you too _stupid _to realise that, you unnatural piece of hollow flesh! You freaks all plot and talk when you're just that, with no _substance_. And _that _is what makes you forever inferior to me at the end of the day, Xemnas."

Sharak took the battered Xemnas by the throat and got in his face.

"I don't _waste _time with petty discussion and experimenting. When I set my sights on something…I just do it."

Sharak prepared to administer the final blow, when Xemnas conjured a red sabre and actually sliced Sharak's arm off. As the monster screamed in pain, Xemnas followed it up with another terrific blow.

"Delusional hypocrite!" roared the supreme Nobody.

Sharak regenerated his arm and retaliated with a vicious claw slash across Xemnas' chest, and a fierce kick to his face.

"Overambitious pretender!" the Heartless' father yelled back.

And they continued to taunt and batter one another back and forth, each one refusing to succumb to defeat.

Eventually though, neither could get the better of the other. Both tired and injured, they fought to a standstill. The barriers surrounding Memory's Skyscraper faded, allowing both their respective forces to enter the square and tend to their masters.

"You _cannot _win, Sharak."

"Not _today_, I know that. And I wasn't trying to. You can consider this my _official _declaration of war. Sorry, did I say 'war'? I meant _pest control_."

"I meant _in general_, you cannot win. Can't you feel it? The change in these airs? Kingdom Hearts is _already _ours."

Sharak knew better than to dismiss Xemnas' claim as a mere boast. The moment Sharak arrived, he _had _felt something in this world. It was powerful but also vague. As though something was shielding it, _protecting _it from Sharak discovering more.

Could it have been Kingdom Hearts…but then again, it could _not _have been. Some deception that the Nobodies had conceived. How could they have Kingdom Hearts without the princesses of heart? Without the Keyblade? It didn't make sense.

But Sharak 'smiled' nonetheless. He would discover the truth in due time. And the advantage was _his_.

"It doesn't matter _how_ that can be, Xemnas. The fact remains…I _know _where you live. And I can drop by at _any _time. So you just keep Kingdom Hearts safe and warm for me while I take care of _more important _business _first_. It'll make it that much sweeter when I take it from you by _force_."

A portal opened and the Heartless returned to Castle Oblivion. As Sharak and his warriors followed suit, the contaminated darkness (with Shego and Miki aiding their leader) couldn't resist one last taunt.

"So _enjoy _what you have, Nobodies…while you still _can_."

As Sharak and his army faded from their sight, the injured and weary Xemnas (supported by Demyx and Xigbar) laughed along with his fellow Organization members at Sharak.

"Oh, we _will_, Heartless…_much _sooner than you _think_."

And so had begun…the Darkness-Nothing War.

* * *

Back at Castle Oblivion, Sharak's injuries had been tended to by Magica and Drakken. Now he was resting in the lab, thinking about other means of obtaining Kingdom Hearts. He knew that other methods, though extremely rare and harder to achieve, were practically possible. And Sharak still couldn't remember. He _needed _to know, before Organization XIII completed their objective.

Neither leader had been superior than the other. It was hard to admit, but they were now equals. Their battle had taken much out of the other, and both had all kinds of weapons and pawns to use against the other, to further their own ends, all in aim to come out on top.

Sora, Donald and Goofy, Maleficent and Pete, Hi-Jax, DiZ and his accomplices…so many factors, variables and players all repeated themselves in the fallen emperor's mind. It had now become _beyond _imperative for Sharak to cure himself. Hi-Jax's data would instantly tip the balance in his favour, and allow him to crush all his enemies and take Kingdom Hearts back.

But it would not be easy. Hi-Jax would see to that. Coldstone and Karall's trap had plenty of merit, however. Only time would tell if it would realize its potential or not.

_It has to,_ Sharak told himself. _There is too much at stake. And with Reflection's betrayal decreasing my ranks and potentially a problem, my obstacles are increasing._

Ilxsa knocked on the door.

"Yes, Ilxsa."

Sharak's second-in-command entered and the emperor rose from his bed to speak with her.

"Well?"

"Reflection has taken precautions. We cannot locate him or know the full extent of the data he's taken."

"That is _unacceptable_."

"He _will _be found, master. _And _destroyed."

"And what did _Axel _say to you?"

Ilxsa had calculated that Sharak knew by seeing it in her eyes, so she didn't bother to deny it.

"He told me that it was a mistake to follow you," the Darkest Exile truthfully replied. "He said you were no different from Xemnas and that I should rethink my options."

"And you _said_?" Sharak's tone became menacing, reminding Ilxsa of what he did to turncoats, even potential ones.

"I said nothing. I _felt _nothing. He left, I left and that was it."

"But you _thought_. _Didn't…you_?"

Ilxsa fell silent for a moment.

"I truthfully considered, _yes_. But the dangers outweighed any other thoughts. To ignore those risks would've been _most _illogical. To serve you is the only sensible path to choose, Sharak. And that is the truth."

Sharak stared at the Unknown teenager, deeply.

"I _believe _you, Ilxsa. Your loyalty pleases me. Now kneel."

Ilxsa did as she was told. Sharak stood up from his bed and looked down on her.

"Your hard work and efficiency has justified the correctness of my choice. It is time you were _rewarded_."

"You mean…my _missing memories_?"

"Yes. You have _earned _them."

Sharak pulled down Ilxsa's hood and then placed his hand on her head. A bright light shone and Ilxsa began to cry out in pain.

As the missing links in her chain of memories…_finally _materialised.

* * *

Elsewhere…

"_ENCOM system…online. Awaiting instructions_."

"Excellent," approved Reflection, pleased with the set-up of his new lair. "Computer, upload all contents of disc into main system and commence digitisation."

"_Complying…"_

Within seconds, Reflection found himself in the digital void. It was completely grey. A blank slate, awaiting the aristocrat's designs.

"I have much studying to do," he declared. "So many secrets to learn and master but I have time to do so without interference of any kind. And victory _will _be mine, now that I have the power to create an army, a brand new world, brand new hearts…and of course…"

Reflection held his hand out and it slowly swirled with data, forming an identical copy of the Keyblade.

"So many codes and data files…all these technological riches and treasures that now belong to me. I've become an instant _king_. And once I've learned how to use the artificial reality _outside _of the program…the whole wide world, Kingdom Hearts _itself_, will quite rightly belong to _me_."

* * *

**_What do you think, eh? Let me know. In the next few chapters, expect to see Hi-Jax meet more survivors from the Imbalance of Reality, and meet with a certain pirate. Savvy?_**

**_Take care and stay tuned!_**

**_D.C. Wood (17/5/08)_**

* * *


	13. Chapter 13: The Paradise Nightmare

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 13: The Paradise Nightmare**

He ran and ran, the rain hammering down, the Heartless in pursuit.

Rapid Thrusters and Air Soldiers dove from the sky to attack the groundling, swooping and striking. The thief tried to fend them off by throwing rocks, bottles and cans that he had noticed on the streets as he ran. He subsequently picked them up to chuck at his pursuers but it was futile. The creatures had locked onto the growing fear in his fear and would not be deterred.

After being bombarded with hit-and-run attacks by the flocking Heartless, the runaway inevitably stumbled and fell flat on his face. As he looked up from the puddle he landed in, the Heartless circled above him, as laughing voices closed in on him.

The notorious Beagle Boys, five of them, brandishing weapons looked down on the boy, grinning sinisterly.

"That's _our _Ma's _pie _you stole, you naughty boy!" scolded Burger.

"Yeah…and-and this is our neck of the woods, yah get?" pointed Baggy, grinning in a way that was far too stupid to be taken seriously.

"And the _last _thing you do is _rob _from the _masters _of robbin'!" loomed Bigtime. "So _now _you've gotta go to _learning school_. But if you're hungry, _we _understand. Hey, Bouncer! Bankjob! Give the kid a couple of our trademark knuckle-sandwiches! Then give what's left to the Heartless so _they _don't feel left out, too!"

The biggest and strongest of the Beagle Boys chuckled and advanced towards the child, stroking the knuckle-dusters they'd slipped onto their fingers. The young thief trembled, fearing for his life as the two burly Beagles prepared to strike.

"HELLO, BOYS!!" cried a much-feared voice from above.

The Beagles all looked up in dread and unison.

"OH, NO!!"

Hi-Jax's sword strikes took out several of the Heartless Swarm. All the Beagle Boys backed away in fear as he landed in an attack position, in front of the boy.

"Long time, no _hit_," he smirked.

He leapt high towards Bouncer and Bankjob and slammed their heads together hard. Knocked unconscious, the large Beagles slumped to the ground.

Burger and Baggy panicked and made a run for it.

"Get back here, ya crummy weasels!" yelled Bigtime, shaking his fist in anger. Then he felt the teenage anomaly tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to look up at Hi-Jax, who literally dwarfed him. His eyes widened in shock, disbelief and fear.

"How ya doin', shorty?" grinned Hi-Jax, waving at him. Before grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up to his height.

"How's _Ma_?"

"Still…in a home," choked Bigtime. "Thanks…to…you."

"Yeah, well…you Beagles all deserved to be brought down like the dogs you are. What's it been? Five months? And you're now living like rats? Well, more so than you were prior to me knocking on your door?"

"Thought…you'd…"

"Gone for _good_?" asked Hi-Jax, insulted. "_Please_. Even when I go elsewhere, I'm _still _undisputed king of Ruination City. Must admit, I wasn't expecting to come back home to this wasteland…but hey-ho, you never know."

Hi-Jax then casually tossed Bigtime aside, where he landed perfectly in a garbage can head-first, his legs flailing in the air.

Turning to the thief, Hi-Jax approached him raising his arms in a gesture to mean 'peace'.

"Are you _alright, _kid?"

Hi-Jax knew he wouldn't get a 'thank you'. After all those lives he'd saved from assault in the past twelve months here, Hi-Jax had accepted that those he'd rescued would only respond with a 'screw you!', 'I don't need your help!' or 'What are ya doin', ya loony?!' He also knew that some of the people he'd helped were no better than those that'd tried to attack them. Yet, that didn't stop the anomaly from doing what was right.

After all, that's what separated him from the population of this world.

As Hi-Jax awaited the negative response to be hurled at him by the child, what the wide-eyed, shocked runaway said was something that the teenager would've never ever have expected.

"K-king…Adam?" he asked in disbelief, quickly bowing before him.

Hi-Jax fell into deep shock.

"W-what…?"

"Get away from him, you degenerate!" roared a newcomer, rocketing towards Hi-Jax at top-speed. The teenage exile turned to face his attack in surprise, and soon found himself pinned against the nearest wall (by the throat). The anomaly's eyes widened in horror when he looked right at the attacker.

_Another gargoyle? Here? And…it's been…bonded with components from Xanatos' Steel Clan robots!_

"You _dare _to attack a child, hiding behind your Heartless?!" belittled the abomination. "Pay for your cowardice!"

"No, Coldstone!" cried the boy. "Stop! He saved my…!"

The gargoyle cyborg allowed himself to be distracted. Taking advantage, Hi-Jax kicked Coldstone away from him, freeing himself.

Just then, the Heartless attacked the child again.

"You sadistic filth!" roared the cyborg again, as he activated the cannon from his right robotic arm and started blasting away. "Call off those creatures or…!"

"I'm _not _with the Heartless, you _moron!_" yelled back Hi-Jax as he punched Coldstone hard, knocking him out of the way. The anomaly ran sprinted to help the child.

"Hang on, kid!"

Brandishing Larxene's knives and Vexen's shield, Hi-Jax destroyed Heartless after Heartless to get them away from the boy as quickly as he could.

"Stay behind me!"

"Y-yes, sire!"

_Sire?! _thought Hi-Jax as he blocked a dive from a dive attack from a Rapid Thruster and threw daggers to obliterate a few Air Soldiers. _He knows who I was. He's a survivor from the Imbalance of Reality! One of my PEOPLE…_

More Rapid Thrusters swooped in, too many to block. Hi-Jax summoned massive pillars of ice to rise from the ground and crush the Heartless out of the air.

_The Beagles are gone! So who's pulling the Heartless' strings?!_

"Behind you!" yelled Coldstone from above, his metal and organic wings unfolded, his rocket pack sustaining his flight. Hi-Jax and the boy turned round to see the Air Soldiers being destroyed by the cyborg's laser blasts.

"Heads up, boys!" came another voice, much more friendlier, cheerful and recognisable.

Kim Possible, kitted out in a plain white t-shirt, black combat trousers, utility belt and military boots, somersaulted into the fray. Wielding an electric staff, she gracefully eliminated a score of Heartless. Within a matter of seconds, all the dark creatures had been completely disposed of.

Hi-Jax wanted to believe it was his friend, but knew it could've been a trick, Reflection in disguise, most likely. But it wasn't. This person's heart was completely identical to the Kim Possible he had met and befriended back in Middleton. And Hi-Jax's ability to read hearts never lied.

It was truly her.

"Kim!"

"Hi-Jax!"

The two friends ran up to one another and hugged tightly. When they released from their embrace, the questions began.

"How did you escape from Sharak? How did you get here?"

"Long story, I'll tell you over a cola and a cheeseburger!"

"Kimberly," asked Coldstone, as he and the child came forward. "You also know this young man?"

"His name's Hi-Jax. Wicked cool dude!"

"Hi-Jax…?" said the boy, confused. "Aren't you…King Adam?"

Silence fell. Hi-Jax removed his shades and looked sadly at the child.

"I _was_…but…"

Sighing, the teenager cut to the chase with, "My turn to say 'long story'."

"You're the legendary Hi-Jax?" asked Coldstone in surprise. "I owe you an apology, then. I thought you were one of the countless, mindless thugs who plague this city."

"As if," glared Hi-Jax initially before deciding to lighten up. "Though your apology is accepted. You're a gargoyle, right? But…that technology looks like it came from Xanatos Enterprises…

Hi-Jax quickly paused, ashamed of himself.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean any offence."

"None taken," assured Coldstone.

"What happened to you?" the anomaly asked kindly, wanting to help.

"I too have a long tale to tell. Perhaps we can discuss everything on the way."

"Way to _where_?"

"It's not far, eminence," said the child politely. "It's where we're all safe."

_WE'RE _all safe…? thought Hi-Jax again. _Could this mean…?_

Kneeling before the child, the eighteen-year-old politely asked, "What's your name, son?"

"Tai, my liege."

* * *

As the four _very _different individuals conversed and moved further and further outside the heart of Death's Square, they continued to converse with one another. Eventually, they found themselves in Downward Alley.

"And so…that's how Adam, ruler of Castle Mahanah, was undone…and reassembled as Hi-Jax, charged with the task of defeating Sharak…and one day to rebuild the life I once had."

"Sharak…_still _lives?" asked Tai, suddenly overcome with fear.

"I know," agreed Hi-Jax. "It terrifies me, too. But…if I have my way, Sharak will never live to harm anyone ever again."

He turned to Kim as he said this, with sadness and regret in his eyes. She smiled warmly at him, saying, "It _wasn't _your fault. You'd be surprised the number of times I've been kidnapped and tormented. _Not _fun, but it comes with the job."

Kim's optimism warmed Hi-Jax's heart. Feeling better, the anomaly turned to the boy.

"Tai…you're the _first _survivor from the time reversal that I didn't know about. The first survivor from _my homeworld_ I've come into contact with. What happened? How did you manage to stay alive?"

The ten-year-old sighed painfully.

"None of us expected it, my liege…we were all happy. Your people loved you, my family and friends loved…heck, I myself _idolized _you. You led us deep into the light, where we fought nothing bad could/would ever happen."

As Tai spoke, he could remember it so clearly. And Hi-Jax, with his powers, could see the boy's words painting the scene right before him.

"It was horrible. The night of the storm. When they came…we thought it was the Heartless after us again. But it wasn't the darkness. It was worse."

"Those white things…Nobodies did you call them? They killed so many. Your elite guard tried to fight them off, but there was too many. My dad battled but got hurt really bad. My mum and I thought he was gonna die. Then you saved us…helped us into the Gummi Ship along with the others."

"As we fled, we saw all your soldiers fight and die…then I saw you fighting that person in the black coat. I knew you wouldn't lose. That everything would be alright, despite the deaths and destruction."

"Then me and my family saw you beaten by that hooded person…then the world exploded. Our ships couldn't outrun it. We didn't even have time to _scream_. We couldn't breathe, we couldn't think…we just…faded…as though we'd never been."

Hi-Jax's face changed to show his pain of that fateful night. Kim provided some sympathy in the form of a hand on his shoulder. Coldstone also knew what it felt like…losing his home and people to evil.

"Then…I just woke up," finished Tai. "Here in Ruination City. I called out to my parents but they weren't around. Then the Heartless showed up. Confused and scared, I ran. And _hid_. Cold and hungry, I squatted in abandoned buildings, I stole food from wherever I could. Beagles, Fat Cat, Glomgold…you name it. It was how I was able to survive for so long. But they kept sending Heartless after me…until he saved me. Reunited me with my family"

"'_He'_?" asked Hi-Jax.

"The good Samaritan," explained Coldstone. "A man who resurrected me. Me and my race, my clan were shattered in our sleep by ruthless Vikings. I thought I was destined to stay in the realm of death forever. Then the Samaritan brought me back…_remade _me."

"And he personally rescued me from Sharak's castle," explained Kim. "Broke right into the joint, fought everything to face just to save me. He…he's a really, really nice guy. He cares so much about people and will do anything to help ya out of a jam."

"I gotcha," nodded Hi-Jax, "but…_who _is he?"

"See for yourself, my friend," explained Coldstone. "We are here. Tai?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically. They had arrived at Dead End Street. Tai walked up to the pitch-black brick wall and gently pushed some of the bricks deeper into the wall in password sequence. A bright light flashed, brighter than any Hi-Jax had ever seen in Ruination City. The wall disassembled itself brick by brick to reveal a gateway of light.

"After you, sire," bowed Tai respectfully.

"You don't have to be so formal all the time, Tai," smiled Hi-Jax, having taken a liking to the boy. "Just plain old Hi-Jax'll do."

Tai smiled and nodded as he led Hi-Jax, Coldstone and Kim deep into the light. It soon subsided and the group found themselves walking out to one of the most heart-warming and beautiful sights Hi-Jax had ever seen.

The skies were heavenly blue, the clouds were fluffy white, the air was fresh and cleansing…and there were so many people in the marketplace below, all trading, buying, socialising and laughing, children were playing and skipping, there was no fighting or frustration…everything and everyone was cooperating and at peace like one perfect and harmonious machine.

"The brightest light within the deepest darkness," smiled Hi-Jax, taking his shades off to survey the view.

"This is his kingdom and creation," explained Coldstone.

"Beats Ruination City by a thousand miles," admired Kim.

"Welcome to Sanctuary," introduced Tai.

They walked into the village, people greeting them as they went by. Hi-Jax was astounded. People saying 'hello', offering food, drink and possessions, the community spirit all-around…it was the complete opposite of Ruination City.

The light half that Hi-Jax had grown up with…a side he had almost forgotten because of Sharak and Organization XIII.

_Almost_.

Soon, Tai, Hi-Jax, Coldstone and Kim made their way to the castle gates. The guards, recognising Tai, Coldstone and Kim, greeted them warmly and opened the gates to allow entry. They walked inside to the castle grounds…to meet Sanctuary's benevolent ruler.

"My friends," he appeared before them, radiating an aura of goodness and hospitality. "I am glad you have returned safely. Tai…you must learn to be more careful on your ventures to the other side, my friend."

"I apologise, sire."

"It matters not, my young friend. What _does _is that you are safe."

"We brought great things for tonight's feast!" announced Tai, excitedly, as he undid his massive satchel to begin showing.

"And I see you have bought a most special guest," he smiled at Hi-Jax, offering his hand in friendship.

"One and only," smiled Kim, putting her hand on Hi-Jax's shoulder. The anomaly smiled, not seeing a reason to look into the ruler's heart. His charm and manners were obviously sincere, almost hypnotic.

As he shook his hand, the teenage exile smiled, "My name is Hi-Jax, your highness."

"Delighted, friend. And you may call me…Karall."

* * *

"My story begins over ten years ago," began the world ruler, as they all sat down at the banqueting table. "I was once a respected citizen of Hollow Bastion…until I was captured and imprisoned by a group called Organization XIII."

"I'm sorry…" sympathized Hi-Jax.

"Do not be. You are not at fault. And from what I've heard…you have also experienced their cruelty first-hand. With that, I can relate."

Karall helped himself to another goblet of wine and his _third _helping of tartar steak before continuing his story.

"_Exquisite_. Anyway, I tried for years to escape from their cruelty and experimentation. My final attempt, two years ago, was a success. Their science had given me power, power enough to never be a prisoner again. And power enough to never allow anyone to endure that kind of cruelty. I escaped…having already acquired a fortune _before _my capture, my riches were there waiting for me upon my freedom."

"I could not remain in Hollow Bastion. Maleficent and the Heartless had long taken it over. And my attempts of finding a new world to find peace were increasingly slim…thanks to Heartless and Nobodies. But I refused to be deterred. I…_found _Sanctuary, after many months of arduous search, purely by _accident_. It made sense really. Hiding in plain sight, living right next door to Ruination City as it were."

"Since then, I have stayed…and used my fortune to build this kingdom. I have rescued so many survivors from worlds no more, prisoners like me or otherwise…all in aim to offer them hope."

"That's quite the story, Karall," admitted Hi-Jax having finished his first-class meal. _And I can certainly understand why you appreciate the food so much. _"So…all your people…"

"Those strong enough to survive the harsh and unforgiving environment that is Ruination City. Or those who've managed to escape the machinations of Organization XIII."

"And…Sharak? The Imbalance of Reality?"

"Ah, yes…Tai and his family were among the first group of people I saved. They told where they had come from…and of Sharak. It was a fascinating tale. And one that personally startled me. I thought Sharak was just a myth."

"I _wish_…" sighed the anomaly in painful remembrance. Shaking it off, he looked back at Karall, who wiped his mouth with a napkin before continuing, "Tai told me of the kingdom in which he was born…and of its ruler Adam, son of Mahanah. Just as Coldstone and Kimberly told me of the Hi-Jax cult legend that originated in Ruination City and spread to other areas of the world. I must confess that I never imagined them to be one and the same."

"One, _maybe_…but the _same_? FAR from it."

"I understand," replied Karall. "Change is a very complicated concept."

"Tai told me of _other _survivors from our world," began Hi-Jax, crossing his fingers hopefully. "Can I meet them? Do you know if Castle Mahanah exists?"

"If your homeworld survived the time reversal…I regret to tell you that I honestly know nothing of it."

Hi-Jax sighed in anguish.

"Even though I do not know that, my young friend," smiled Karall, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I do know much, including this. If Tai was strong enough to survive, among few others who've managed to find their way here…then hope has reason to be strong. And that has to be a thought worth _savouring _by any heart."

Smiling, Hi-Jax replied, "I know. I believe you."

"Come. There is much more I must show you."

* * *

"Sternan? Is it really you?"

"Master Adam…I never thought I'd see you again!"

"I call myself Hi-Jax now…old friend," the teenage exile beamed as he shook his friend's hand. "It's great to see you again."

"Likewise. I see you've met my son Tai at long last."

"He's your son? If only I'd known! He's a great kid! Your wife, Rachel…is she…?"

"Right here, Ad…sorry, Hi-Jax," smiled the beautiful and strong-looking woman.

"Rachel!" the anomaly smiled, as the old friends hugged tightly in reunion.

"Lord Karall told you the whole story, I take it?"

"More or less. I really don't know what to say. This is…it's absolutely…"

Hi-Jax laughed in joy.

"I've been waiting too long for this," he confessed. "WAY too long have I been separated from my people. We're finally together again. And this is only the beginning."

"Sorry, Hi-Jax," apologised Sternan, "but…I am afraid we two members of your elite guard…and our child…are the only survivors we know of."

"It doesn't matter for the moment. This is a start. Officially the BEST promising start an exiled, super-powered fugitive like me…"

Coldstone's eyes narrowed evilly at Hi-Jax. His right eye, coloured blood-red, lit up as he sneered to himself. Hi-Jax immediately sensed this and, confused, turned to the cyborg, who at that instant, left the room.

"What's up with _him_?"

"Don't take it personally, Hi-Jax," explained Rachel. "Coldstone is a good person at heart, but the trauma of losing his home and family…the trauma of what he's _become_ has made him somewhat bitter at times. And maybe a touch jealous."

_I wonder who THAT reminds me of_, wondered Hi-Jax sarcastically, thinking back to Demona. _Hang on…that's not being fair at all. I can smell the trauma and sadness in his heart. It's good but remains heavily scarred._

_Just like ME._

"Maybe I should talk to him," suggested the teenager. "Maybe I can help."

"I personally wouldn't advise it," spoke Sternan honestly. "All attempts to reach Coldstone…have been unsuccessful. Coldstone is thankful for everything Karall has provided; a new life, a new home, a new purpose and a new family…but it's as though he hates talking about his past. And doesn't want to share it with anyone."

_Again, that's just how I felt_.

* * *

Outside on the balcony, Coldstone observed Hi-Jax still conversing with his old friends.

_His heart radiates such warmth…among other things the scans confirm, _remarked the cyborg gargoyle. _He truly does want to help. Even those he does not know._

Having eavesdropped and recorded on his previous comments, Coldstone replayed the words in his computerised mind.

"_Maybe I should talk to him. Maybe I can help."_

Coldstone's advanced…or rather _complicated_ mind reasoned with itself.

_Does he know something? _wondered Othello. _About the Wyvern Clan? His adrenaline increase when we first met certainly suggested it could be possible._

_You have to believe, my love, _comforted Desdemona. _If this Hi-Jax was able to survive and reunite with those he thought lost forever…it means hope for him. And from what we've seen inside his heart…he seems much more suited to help than Sharak…_

_Do not believe the snake, Othello_, whispered Iago, grinning insidiously. _She doesn't care about you. She fell for Goliath, betrayed you. Just like the humans did. This Hi-Jax is obviously an unstable, loose cannon that lives only to destroy Heartless and Nobodies. He was obsessed for vengeance for so long._

_But Iago, he did not succumb…_

_So? He is just deluding himself. The hypocrite is a destroyer, determined to eliminate our rightful world ruler. THAT is what Sharak has proven to us time and time again. And he recreated us, rescued us from oblivion! We OWE him our servitude! Just as we can expect him to reward our loyalty! We owe this Hi-Jax, a glorified piece of human scum, absolutely nothing! As Karall said, we gargoyles owe nothing to our destroyers!_

_Othello, my love! _protested Desdemona. _There is good and evil in ALL! Don't believe that all humans are one and the same! It's certainly not the case with gargoyles!_

_That sounds just like something GOLIATH would've said._

_Maybe, Iago…you are…_

"Coldstone?"

The voices in the cyborg's head subsided and he turned to face Karall.

"It's time for you to embark on that little 'errand'. As for Hi-Jax…I think it might be in everyone's best interests if you stayed out of his way. Until later tonight, of course."

"Yes, Karall."

* * *

"It's all _seriously _nice," remarked Hi-Jax, as he walked along the battlements with Kim, "but…"

"Uh…is that a sign of 'I've had the best vacation ever but I wanna go home now'?" asked the agent, her right eyebrow raised at the anomaly.

"I was thinking more about _you_."

They both stopped to look at one another.

"There's a few people who are queuing up to say 'hi' to you, Kim," smiled the anomaly as he took out the H.J.F.M. out of his coat pocket.

"Wade, Ron…guess who I've got on line one."

Tossing the H.J.F.M. to the teenage agent, Kim's eyes widened and an ecstatic smile spread across her face.

Though nowhere near as joyous as the expression of the face on the other end of the line.

"_KP!!"_

"RON!!"

Back in Middleton, Ron leaned in, put his hands on the sides of Wade's monitor, puckered up and planted a huge kiss on the screen. Wade shook his head, but smiled nonetheless, equally happy to see Kim. Ron's girlfriend smiled and laughed in happy, communicated reunion. Hi-Jax also smiled and laughed.

"Oh, Kim, I am _so _wishing right now that real hugs and kisses can be e-mailed or transmitted over wavelengths or whatever."

"_Me too, Ron."_

"But do you know what I'm wishing even _more_? That now that you're _safe_…uh, second thought…if you're the real Kim, I really hate to say this, but when needs must, y'must, y'know?"

"_Uh…what?"_

"You're not _Reflection_, are you?"

"_RON…I ASSURED you it was definitely her_," reminded Hi-Jax.

"Data scans are _absolutely identical _to those on the file," confirmed Wade, pulling up the file to show Ron. "No doubt about it, she's the _real deal_."

"Sorry, but I still wanna make _triply _sure…"

"_Okay, who else knows that ever since the age of four, you sleep with a…."_

Absolutely overjoyed, yet also wanting to avoid any embarrassment, Ron blurted out with, "KIM!!" and _again _kissed the computer screen.

"And yeah, as I was saying," began Ron again, regaining his composure, "What I'm really, really wishing for is to actually hug and kiss you in _person."_

"Yeah, we all miss you, Kim," smiled Wade. "When are you coming _home_?"

"_Soon_, I promise. I've just got this war to deal with - won't take me long. Only a day or two. _Then_, I'll be home. Tell Mom and Dad I'm safe with Hi-Jax, and I'll pick up some milk along the way."

_War? _thought Hi-Jax, confused.

"Here's HJ for ya. Hugs and kisses over the phone, guys!"

"_Take care, Kim," _smiled Ron, wiping a tear away.

"_See ya, Kim," _smiled Wade, giving her a thumbs-up. _"Hi-Jax…thanks."_

"_Thanks times a thousand, man,"_ saluted Ron.

"Had a promise to keep," smiled the anomaly. "Wade, I'll talk to you later. Ron, take care. Hi-Jax out."

Ron and Wade signalled their farewells and both parties signed off. The anomaly then turned to Kim, intrigued and concerned.

"_Soon_? You're coming home _soon_? When I can take you home _now_?"

"It's _not _what it seems, Hi-Jax," explained Kim, sighing.

"I know, I'm just confused. You really baffled me when you said 'war'. Oh, yeah…and I'm still confused about the little matter why a nice kid like Tai would steal from petty crooks like the Beagles, in the cesspool that is Ruination City…when he has it absolutely _great _here in Sanctuary. So there's no need whatsoever for him to steal to survive anymore. Unless…I'm wrong. Which is starting to sound more likely each second."

"Yeah…about that…"

"Kimberly! Hi-Jax!" shouted Sternan as he sprinted towards them, sword and shield in hand. "We need your help! We're under attack!"

* * *

The Heartless invasion was tough, despite being reasonably small. They were soon fended off but the creatures had caused panic among the people. Some of Karall's guards were injured in the battle, though they would recover.

"They first attacked us a few weeks back," explained Kim. "Dunno how they found their way here, or who's controlling them but they showed up and hit us hard. They almost wiped out our entire food supplies as lame as it sounds. We're way out of the starving zone, but we still have to get food from wherever we can just to stay alive. That's why Tai steals from all the richest in Ruination City to help us out. Me and Coldstone accompany him sometimes as a little insurance policy, when we're not searching for more survivors ourselves. And when we haven't got Heartless on our butts."

"To try and murder hope…" nodded Hi-Jax in comprehension. "If light from this world is going over to Ruination City, then the darkness would naturally cross over to Sanctuary to maintain the balance. Light invades to give hope…darkness invades to snatch it away."

"Uh-huh…" was all Kim said. She understood what Hi-Jax meant but she wondered how long he'd been subjected to all those riddles from Sharak and the Organization.

"Sorry," said the teenage exile, noticing that he'd rambled again. "So that's why you can't go home yet."

"Job obligations," smiled the freelance agent.

"Then I'm staying, too," declared Hi-Jax. "Drive the Heartless completely out of this world and tell 'em to STAY out. Shouldn't take us more than a day or two as you said."

"Still believe in me, huh?"

"You can do anything, can't you?"

The two friends grinned and 'high-fived'.

"Thank you, my friends," said Karall, gratefully. "We owe you both a huge debt."

"It's nothing," dismissed Hi-Jax.

"So what's the sitch, Karall?" asked Kim.

"The Heartless attacks are becoming much more frequent. And stronger. I fear this war could escalate out of control…and the number of casualties…"

Karall shuddered as though he'd eaten something that disagreed with him.

"I fear the only thing we can do is wait."

"Without any idea of what they could throw at us?" asked Hi-Jax, eyebrow raised. "Sorry, Karall, but if this world and your people are to have a chance of surviving what's coming than you need to know exactly the scale of what's trying to destroy you. Otherwise, we're sitting ducks"

"A wise plan of action indeed, master Hi-Jax," agreed Sanctuary's ruler. "But one that has already been tried and tested. I have sent many a soldier to investigate and they have returned with no success."

"That's still not reason enough to dismiss _one-last-try_."

Karall looked at Hi-Jax, then at Kim, who smiled and nodded, telling him to trust the anomaly.

"Very well. I shall grant your request. But the hour is late, and you must both be tired. What say we start the search at first dawn?"

Hi-Jax _was _tired. The last week battling with Vexen and Larxene's ghosts had taken a lot out of the anomaly, from which he hadn't fully recuperated yet. In fact, he hadn't had a proper night's sleep since staying at the Parrs' residence.

"Yeah, okay," agreed the eighteen-year-old.

"Then it's settled. Come…let us go to the dining room for supper."

As they departed, Hi-Jax whispered to Kim, "He sure likes his food, don't he?"

"Can you _blame _him? When Bueno Nacho have got absolutely _nothing _on _him_?"

"Touché."

* * *

Later that night…

"Goodnight, mother."

"Goodnight, Tai," smiled Rachel, kissing and hugging her son tightly. "Sweet dreams."

Tai happily closed his eyes and drifted deep into the realm of sleep. Rachel left the room, gently closing the door behind her. She smiled. She was happy. The reunion with Hi-Jax had been the best thing that had happened to her in months. With him, they'd be able to defeat the Heartless, maybe rebuild the beautiful kingdom she once knew.

And maybe even…

"_Rachel_."

The swordswoman turned to her husband.

"It's time. Our rightful master _commands _it."

Rachel's eyes narrowed.

"NO, Sternan. I'm _not _going to…"

"You have no _choice_…" growled the swordsman, his breathing turning monstrously heavy. "I must honour my debt as I always do."

"You gave up your honour long ago when you…"

"This is _not _a matter for debate. We have orders and we will _obey_."

"Adam is our rightful ruler!" protested Rachel. "Our _friend_! He took us into his heart long ago and relied on us _even after _Mahanah and Sharak fell! Unlike you I will not betray him!"

"Sharak _cannot _be destroyed!" argued Sternan, his eyes glowing ominously red. "All the worlds have tried for aeons and it's _impossible_! He _keeps _returning, Rachel! And we keep delaying the inevitable and we can't do it anymore!"

"I don't believe that for a second, Sternan! The reason why I forgave you is because there's _hope_! I _love _you and I want to help you! I want us all to be the happy family we deserve to be! Not slaves to a bloodthirsty tyrant!"

"Those who oppose the darkness embrace their own destruction," persisted the swordsman, his skin growing sickly and pale. And fangs emerging from his mouth. "I have lost friends and loved ones, more than I care to. I will NOT lose you and Tai, too!"

"You want us to become _monsters_," sneered Rachel, drawing her bow and arrow and pointing it at her husband's face. "That's not _surviving_, that's _giving in_. I'll be damned if I let you drag me and our son to the other side."

"Sharak and Karall wanted to kill you," seethed the transformed vampire, advancing slowly towards her. "I convinced them to spare your lives. You would be useful in drawing Hi-Jax here and you've both proved your worth. And now your time to consider their offer has expired."

Rachel's eyes looked behind her. More dark vampires began to appear in the shadows one-by-one.

All branded with the Heartless insignia.

And closing in on her.

"This is our only _real _chance for peace, my wife."

"Don't make me do this, Sternan. _Please._"

"I don't want my betrayal to be for nothing. I did the wrong thing for the _right _reason. Now _prove _me right."

"Do you still love us?" grimaced Rachel, a tear falling from her eye.

"With _all my heart_."

"Then fight _for _me! _With _me! Not _against_!"

"I - I cannot! Karall…is _too _STRONG!" he howled monstrously. "NOW ENOUGH TALK! JOIN THE CULT, FEMALE! OUR GROUP LORD AND ULTIMATE SUPERIOR _COMMANDS _IT!"

Silence fell. The horrible silence, accompanied by inhumane slaves' hissing, eye blinking, body twitching…and savage intention.

"You may have given up hope long ago, Sternan…" declared Rachel, resolute and with the bow and arrow pointed at her husband. "But _I won't_! I CAN'T!!"

Screaming, she swung round and fired an arrow right into the chest of the vampire entity. It fell to the floor, dead, where it dissipated into dark mist.

With that, the cult members all lunged for her.

Sternan included, unable to control himself as he screamed in despair.

"NOOOOO!!"

* * *

"Hi-Jax!" cried Tai, banging on the door of his bedroom. "Let me in! PLEASE!"

Hi-Jax instantly opened the door to see what the trouble was. He hadn't been asleep that long when he heard the screams of panicked humans and savage animals. The sight of a frightened, crying Tai in front of him was enough.

The sight of the creatures pursuing the boy was _more _than enough.

Grabbing Tai roughly by the shoulders, Hi-Jax threw him onto the bed and used his telekinesis to lock the door. The monsters pounded away, hungry for blood and fresh hearts, determined to get in.

"_Join us! Serve the master!_" they chanted hauntingly. "_Join us! Serve the master! Join us! Serve the master! Join us! Serve the master! Join us! Serve the…_"

"NO, I WON'T! GO AWAY!" Hi-Jax chanted back, summoning ice pillars that emerged from the floor outside his room, driving the creatures back. He then turned to look outside his window. More vampires were flying towards his room, chanting "_Join us! Serve the master!_" as they came closer and closer. Quickly summoning a barrier around the room, the creatures were violently repelled by the powerful magic.

"Tai," began Hi-Jax, turning to the boy to reassure him. "_Remain calm_ and _listen to me_. Where are your parents? What happened?"

"Mother woke me up," began Tai, desperately trying to be brave. "She barricaded our room, lowered a rope from the window and told me to find you. They…they broke into our room. Mother tried to fight them off…one of them looked just like…like…_Father_."

"Heartless have beaten us to the punch…" sneered Hi-Jax to himself. "It's started…"

"Where's my mother, Hi-Jax?" cried Tai again. "Is she…?"

"Keep you head down and stay calm!" ordered the anomaly.

_We're penned in here by those things…Karall, have you mobilized your soldiers?!_

_Yes! _he responded telepathically. _But we're being decimated by these creatures!_

_Where are Sternan and Rachel?!_

_I do not know…I cannot reach either of them. Nor can I contact Coldstone._

_Me and Tai are trapped in my room. We're gonna have to fight our way out._

_Agreed…converge with me and my men at the courtyard. Tell Kimberly what's going on. And be careful!_

_We'll meet you there!_

"Tai, we've got to move, we're not safe here! Get behind me, _stay _behind me, trust me and whatever you do, _don't look to your side or behind you! _JUST - RUN, have you _got _that?!"

"Y-yes."

"Good boy!"

Hi-Jax got in front of Tai, who readied himself to run for his life. Summoning his swords, the teenage exile blinked and the barrier surrounding his room ceased to exist. The vampires had only just managed to smash through the icy barricade and charged for the door…

Only to be smashed aside by Hi-Jax as he charged, with Tai running right behind him, focusing only on Hi-Jax's lead.

"Don't forget what I said, Tai!" yelled the anomaly as he created slippery puddles of ice for the vampires to trip on. Leaving them to be destroyed by the powerful Thundaga spells Hi-Jax summoned.

More of the creatures emerged from the shadows, diving for Hi-Jax and Tai, still chanting in nightmarish fashion "_Join us! Serve the master! Join us! Serve the master!_"

And Hi-Jax just swung his blades mightily, striking the creatures out of the way, Tai still running behind.

Some of the creatures were weaker than others. As they lunged like rabid carnivores towards their prey, some were destroyed by Hi-Jax's counter attacks…

Whereas others withstood them, got back up and chanted "_Join us!_ _Serve the master!_" all over again.

_These things…they've got the Heartless symbols on their chests! _thought Hi-Jax as he impaled another creature. _Are they Hybrids? Humans combined with Shadows, that lose their hearts in the process? The kind of Heartless that Sharak created in the New Era of Darkness? They must be, they're…the soldiers and townsfolk of Sanctuary! Does this mean…?_

Snapping out of his thoughts, Hi-Jax realised that more and more of these new Heartless were swarming the castle. Too many to fight in these halls.

_Kim?! Kim, can you hear me?!_

_REALLY not a great time, Hi-Jax!_

_Where are you?!_

_In the dining room!_

_Karall's heading to the courtyard along with his elite guard! I'm with Tai, we've got to regroup with him there!_

_Where's Coldstone?! Sternan?! Rachel?!_

_I was hoping you knew. I can't reach them and I can't wait any longer! I've gotta get Tai away from here! Now for goodness' sake get outta there!_

"Tai, hang on tight!" Hi-Jax shouted as he withdrew his weapons, grabbed Tai's hand and teleported both of them to safety.

Or so they _thought_.

In the courtyard, the bridge had been lowered, the gate had been raised…and everywhere Hi-Jax and Tai looked…were the Heartless vampires. On the battlements, the entrances and exits, in the air…

Surrounding them, chanting "_Join us! Serve the master!" _as they slowly advanced.

Karall's cult.

"Hi-Jax…"

The anomaly and Tai looked up as the gargoyle cyborg descended to ground level, his laser cannon opened and primed, and his targeting systems having established a lock-on.

"You are hereby invited to surrender yourself at once."

Hi-Jax sneered venomously at Coldstone.

"I should've known…_you _used the Beagles and Tai to lure me out into the open. _You _orchestrated the Heartless attack in Ruination City and tried to pin the blame on me. _You _arranged that attack on the town earlier today as well."

"Only natural," growled Coldstone. "Given how _your _kind brought my race to EXTINCTION! Filthy, genocidal human scum!"

"_Karall_…" continued Hi-Jax angrily as he put the pieces together, "a man who 'saved' so many people out of the 'goodness' in his heart. Or rather…a prisoner/experiment of the Organization, one who 'somehow' escaped and _recruited _those to be like him. Creatures to do what he wanted, _act _like he wanted, like the perfect slaves. Slaves to darkness. _Vampires _to serve a refined, aristocratic, calculating, unobvious _nutcase_. One who has _such _a good _appetite…_befitting of a _vampire lord_."

"Very clever _indeed_, my tasty young friend."

The entire cult backed away fearfully and respectfully, kneeling before their malevolent master, who came from the sky, gently landing beside Coldstone. The red eyes, the fangs, the animal itself, even _more _haunting than before, now he was in dark clothing, in _human form_.

"And I was so stupid to forget the most important thing of all…" seethed the anomaly. "There IS no opposite to Ruination City. No other side to it. No light whatsoever in the darkest cesspool of them all. Not _this time._"

"And you _wanted _to be stupid," smiled Karall. "You _wanted _to believe. Because that's who you are."

"Then this 'Sanctuary' is all a façade…a set-up."

"A cleverly devised digital program, created using ENCOM software."

"And I fell for it…I chose to trust. And I was wrong. I walked blindly into this…"

Hi-Jax screamed in rage, knowing who was behind it all.

"SHARAK!!"

"None other, son of Mahanah," laughed Karall. "We serve him in the impending new world order. And I must say, the fact that you so blindly took our prize bait without question is just so…_delicious_."

"Where's my mother?!" cried Tai in anger, running to Karall. Hi-Jax restrained him, determined not to let the vampire lord take him away.

The creature just laughed, Coldstone still pointing his energy weapon at them.

"I made _dinner _reservations, dear child," explained Karall. "And Sharak approved. After he gets his long-awaited Hi-Jax feast…I will have your mother for the main course…then _you _for dessert."

"Oh, yeah?!" yelled Hi-Jax, as he shoved Tai safely behind him. "Well eat _this_, you son of a…!"

"Down, boy!" whistled Kim. "As in…_going _down."

Confusion followed as Hi-Jax turned to see Kim.

Confusion then turned into shock.

Electric staff in hand and at full power, the freelance agent shoved it hard into Hi-Jax's chest.

Hi-Jax screamed in pain and despair. As he fell to his knees, a tear fell from his eye. He looked at Kim as she smiled evilly at him.

Tai screamed in despair and rushed to aid the anomaly. With one hand, Kim just knocked the boy out cold. Hi-Jax couldn't understand it. As he gradually faded into unconsciousness, he looked at Kim's heart one last time. It was the same one he'd befriended back in Middleton, the one he'd trusted and cherished.

"Kim…_why_?" he croaked painfully.

"_Not _Kimmy…" explained Miki, shaking her head and still smiling. Her green eyes changed to blood red, and her clothes altered to her trademark red and black battle suit.

"New and improved…_sucker_."

The replica's deception revealed, Hi-Jax succumbed to darkness. The last sounds he heard were Miki laughing.

And the faint beginnings of a _new _chant starting.

One that was started by Miki.

And one that Coldstone, Karall and his cult gladly joined in.

"_Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha!_"

And back in Castle Oblivion, when news reached home…

Sharak also joined in.

"'Gotcha'."

* * *

**_Author's note: Well, what do you think? Please tell me as always. Your feedback is much appreciated. I'll try and wrap up this little arc as quickly as possible before moving onto Hi-Jax's meeting with Jack Sparrow. It's seriously gonna be worth waiting for!_**

**_Anyway, take care! See you soon!_**

**_D.C. Wood (08/06/08)_**


	14. Chapter 14: Karall's Cult

**_Author's note: It's here at last! Apologies aplenty! Please enjoy!_**

**_D.C. Wood (01/07/08)_**

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 14: Karall's Cult**

"Sharak is awaiting delivery of Hi-Jax as we speak," Ilxsa informed Coldstone.

"_Understood," _nodded the cyborg, communicating from the digital realm. _"Needless to say, transferral of the prisoner is the most delicate stage of the operation. One that must be handled with CARE."_

"Doubtless. The other prisoners?"

"_In a separate cell. Karall is looking forward to his reward…and he is finding it difficult to tame his hunger."_

"I trust he remembers that he will feast _after _Sharak or not at all?"

"_Of course. I have scanned his heart. Unlike Reflection, Karall is loyal."_

"As are you and Miki," reported Ilxsa. "Your hearts remain loyal. But it still remains imperative to maintain control given Reflection's betrayal."

"_Of course," _nodded Coldstone, darkly. _"No one likes TRAITORS."_

Ilxsa paused for a moment. That word…_traitor_. She was one. She knew that for sure, now. She was after all…one of Adam's closest friends. One that had been used against him to hurt Adam and Jaron long ago. And now she was being used to hurt them again.

Only this time…she was playing the part _willingly_.

Axel's words, her returned memories, the cruel master…her _killer_, all tormented her mind. _What _was she _doing_?

_No…_she silenced the doubts in her head again. _I do NOT feel. I have enemies from all sides. Only Sharak would accept me. Survival is the only option left. The only LOGICAL option left…_

"_Ilxsa?"_ asked Coldstone, quickly noticing her silence. _"What is…?"_

"Coldstone…" began the Darkest Exile, "Karall has informed me that you…_felt _something in Hi-Jax's heart when you scanned it. He could smell your…_interest _with his compassion. Elaborate."

The cyborg gargoyle, sneered at first. Iago's voice rattled in his head, advising him to make the squealer Karall pay for getting them into trouble later on. The voice of Othello (the gargoyle who Coldstone had previously been before being turned into a monster) said it was irrelevant for the moment. His superior had asked a question. And he had to answer.

"_I…thought about conversing with the boy, yes, ma'am. But with reasoning…I decided against it."_

_Just like ME,_ realised Ilxsa, thoughtfully. Part of her wanted to break away from her emotionless-state and actually thank Coldstone. For now, she no longer felt alone in Sharak's ranks. She began to feel a kind of kinship with the cyborg. The struggle of souls within Coldstone was well known to Ilxsa. The inner conflict had been reported ever since Coldstone had been brought online. Sharak had ordered Drakken to 'tweak' the cyborg's programming to try and make the 'Iago' soul the most dominant as the best means to establish total control.

But it was next to impossible to eliminate the 'Othello' and 'Desdemona' souls. And the manipulation of the cyborg's mental state was blatantly cruel. Not that it had bothered Ilxsa at all before…but now, with the return of her memories, her very situation being similar to Coldstone's more so than she had once realised…

Axel and Roxas' friendship repeated itself in Ilxsa's mind.

_Is it really that wrong to have a friend? Is it…illogical to say thank you to Coldstone for giving me hope? For him telling me that I'm not alone? That he feels the same thing that I…?_

"That will be all, Coldstone," Ilxsa unemotionally replied. "We will await the cure in due course."

"_Yes, Ilxsa,"_ nodded the gargoyle. After the transmission ended, Coldstone placed his metallic hand on his head, struggling to cope with the voices.

_Deep down…she CARES_, pointed out Desdemona, gently. _She knows, she understands…and that is nothing to be ashamed of._

Back in Castle Oblivion, Ilxsa thought to herself.

_Adam…my friend. When Sharak took YOUR memories away back on the World of Heaven's destruction…he gave them back to you on the Destiny Islands as PUNISHMENT. Is this…'reward' the same punishment?_

Ilxsa then shook her head, refusing to feel anything.

_Logically _realising…

_No…this is neither reward or punishment…this is another choice. My FINAL choice. This is a TEST. The ultimate test of LOYALTY._

* * *

"Wake up, boy…I _command _you to wake up. _Hear _the voice trailing and echoing through the caverns of your consciousness. _Feel _the fear as it touches your heart. _Respect _the fear before it consumes you. _Spare_ yourself from becoming the prey. _Alert _yourself into wakefulness…"

Hi-Jax groaned painfully into consciousness. His vision was hazy, blurry. As he tried to shake away the last remnants of pain and disorientation, the anomaly began to see the outlines of his captors.

He was now in a godforsaken dungeon, chained to the wall.

With Karall smiling evilly at him, the red in his eyes fading away.

Miki and Coldstone were right behind him, arms folded. Coldstone was snarling at the teenager, whereas Miki was smirking at him.

"How's it hangin'?"

"You've absolutely no idea…" began Hi-Jax darkly, before erupting with, "how much I'm looking forward to dismantling you data-piece by data-piece, you lousy, STINKING, REPLICATING FAKE!!"

The Anomaly could easily have broken the chains that retrained him…but the instant he tried, he suffered for it. The electrified chains saw to that, providing the teenager immense physical pain. He then tried simply teleporting out of the chains, but the attempt instantly made him feel sick and dizzy.

"The chains are wired to the mains," explained Miki, still smirking. "Obviously. You can credit Drakken for that."

"The chains are also saturated with magic," furthered Coldstone. "The action of one force, is opposed by the other. In other words, you use light to break free for example, darkness says 'no' to complete the balance and for your situation to remain neutral. A subtle manipulation of light and dark, provided by Sharak's chief advisor."

"Cute. What's your next trick?"

"You will know soon enough, meat," answered Karall. "After we've finished the preparations for your escort to your superior."

"You and Sharak have so much in common, fang-face," snorted the anomaly, unimpressed. "Aside from being delusional freaks, you both love the sound of your own voices too much."

"Look who's talking," mocked Miki.

Ignoring her, Hi-Jax sneered, "What have you done with Sternan and his family?"

Karall laughed in callous amusement.

"The mother and son are perfectly safe for the moment, I assure you," explained the vampire lord, seeing it as delicious to rub Hi-Jax's defeat more and more in his face. "As for Sternan…heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…well, why don't _you _tell our captive yourself the whole delightful story…my _loyal bodyguard._"

Sternan emerged from the shadows to face his one-time friend and former master. The sight of the transformed vampire, all deathly white, animalistic and enslaved to the darkness' will…was shocking to Hi-Jax.

But the words 'my loyal bodyguard' indicated even more shock still to come.

"Sternan…what did you do?"

"What I _had _to, Adam," he began, breathing heavily. "What I've had to do ever since Sharak returned…the very _first _time."

The wheels in the eighteen-year-old's head began to turn, wondering what his former royal guardian meant by that.

Then it hit him.

_Hard_.

"NO."

"_Now _he realises," giggled Miki, cruelly. "_Now _he realises…"

"The night the Heartless first came to Castle Mahanah…I was five-years-old…" deduced Hi-Jax, "when Sharak killed my father, scarred Jaron and exiled us, took our world for his own…IT WAS ALL _YOUR _FAULT!"

"Yes…" admitted Sternan, not proud over his betrayal. "I was the one who opened the door to the heart of our world. _I _destroyed the world's walls and created the meteor shower to allow the Heartless and Sharak to overrun it and take it. And I did it because Sharak is simply unstoppable. Sooner or later, those who defy him are utterly destroyed. I love my family far too much for him to take it away from me. Our ONLY chance for peace is to _follow _him, Hi-Jax…no need to fight, or suffer anymore…because he will have won. And when he wins he wins for _good_. In _every _sense."

"Well spoken, Sternan," smiled Karall, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Very well spoken, indeed."

"How did you stay alive all this time?" sneered Hi-Jax, keeping his rage in check.

"You thought we perished during Sharak's takeover of Mahanah's domain…we did not. He kept us alive, honouring his end of the bargain. We survived the New Era of Darkness under his care. When all darkness fell, we returned to Castle Mahanah to serve you. Then when the Organization retconned those events, me and my family survived yet again, randomly chosen to survive, thanks to Terron."

"And perfect to serve me in my little cult," continued Karall. "The transformation was only recent, and most fitting to occur when Sternan owed Sharak so much. And when I needed help in my little strategy to bring you to my glorious new master."

"So then what's your story exactly, lab rat?!" yelled the anomaly. "Sharak find you like Reflection? A wannabe aristocratic pretender before Xemnas and his bunch turned you into a freak?"

"I wish. I was nothing more than a common criminal…a worthless serial killer before Ansem himself sentenced me to rot in Hollow Bastion's dungeons. Then _they _found me and turned me into a _something_. Then Sharak made me a _someone_. And for that…he has my everlasting, loyal and true servitude. After all, as Sternan said…why bite the hand that _feeds _you?"

"I _am _sorry, my once and former liege…" said Sternan, trying again to justify his actions. "But…"

"Better you than me?!" spat Hi-Jax in rage, unable to contain himself no longer. "Save it, you cowardly piece of filth! You did this not for your family, but for _yourself_! You condemned the entire world, the whole _universe_ to infinite hell because you're gutless! And you're a _blind idiot _for thinking Sharak will play ball! He rewards what he perceives to be loyal _strength_, not desperation and weakness! He'll feed Rachel and Tai to the _dog _here before…!"

Hi-Jax screamed in pain as the wired chains tortured him severely. He tried to use his powers to repel and heal from the pain, but that only increased his agony thanks to the magic spell. The torture ceased just in time to stop him from falling into unconscious.

"Pay no attention to the loud-mouthed cretin, our loyal comrade," lied Karall, placing his arm round Sternan, guiding him towards the door. "Your loyalty will be rewarded. Sharak has done so far, hasn't he? Even though your wife and child have been somewhat…_reluctant _bai…I mean, _guests_."

"They just do not understand, my master," assured the vampire entity, believing the cult's leader. "I _know _their time has expired but I can still persuade them to at long last pledge allegiance to our supreme emperor."

"Fear not. Regardless of what happens…they are just _too good _to throw away. Such new blood _cannot _be allowed to expire…"

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" howled Hi-Jax trying to break free, only to be tortured again for his troubles. Ignoring him, Karall continued, "_I_ will talk with them again _very _soon. And I will be _most _looking forward to it."

"Can I see them?"

"When Sharak receives _his _reward…then we will have ours. In the meantime, tell Ilxsa that transportation is underway."

"Yes, Lord Karall."

Sternan bowed and left. Karall shook his head.

"As you said, Hi-Jax," remarked the creature as he turned towards the prisoner, whose torture had now ceased, "the man is a blind idiot. But despite his inherent stupidity, _you _remain far too hard on him. After all, it's not _his _fault he's so susceptible to my subtle hypnotic influence."

Hi-Jax, in pain and drooling like a restrained animal, looked up to the grinning Karall.

"Aside from my convincing little fairy tale, Coldstone's manipulation of the Heartless, and Miki's _flawless _acting skills…how else do you think you allowed yourself to be captured so easily?"

Hi-Jax's expression of rage and pain slowly turned into an evil smile.

"When I get out of here…I'll _kill _you."

"A most tiresome and empty threat. The hunt is over, and all you can do is wait to be carved and served for Sharak's victory feast. I'm _most _looking forward to it. Miki?"

The replica smiled as she pressed the button on her remote control, torturing Hi-Jax even more. The pain this time was more intense and the anomaly soon faded into unconsciousness.

"Thank you, my dear," smiled Karall, licking his lips in satisfaction. "Have the Heartless guard the cell. As we prepare to come home in _triumph._"

* * *

"_Hi-Jax? Hi-Jax, can you hear me?"_

"…"

"_HI-JAX!"_

"…"

"_Now is not the time for despair and contemplating your mistake!"_

"…"

"_If Sharak wins…"_

"_HE'S ALREADY WON!"_

"…_Do not be a fool. You are stronger than to stop rebelling and be beaten by this mind game. YOU are the master of mind games, stronger than…"_

"_I trusted the wrong people, DiZ. I failed to save Kim…I let my emotions weaken me…I let my guard down by my desire to regain my happiness. And now…I've done what my friend-turned-traitor has done…I've stupidly succumbed to desperation and killed us all."_

"_You are still alive, as are your friends. But they won't be much longer unless you put aside your self-pity and FIGHT BACK! To restore the balance to your situation!"_

"_WHY?! What's the point?! I cannot escape this!"_

"_REMEMBER what I told you about trust."_

"…"

"_Remember when you asked me how you could trust me. When I asked you back how you could trust Sora."_

"…"

"_You were RIGHT to trust the Gargoyles…and right NOT to trust Xanatos and Demona. We ALL make mistakes, and your ability to learn from yours and to learn from defeat is what makes you so dangerous."_

"_You mean the perfect WEAPON against Sharak. Don't you?"_

"_That's how the Organization sees you."_

"_And how do YOU see me?"_

"_That depends on how YOU see yourself."_

"…"

"_You know…as you have known all along. As have…"_

"_WAIT. Is that…Sharak?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Where did he come from?"_

"_Where he always is. In your memories, the darkest depths of your memory, forever etched into your scarred heart."_

"_What's happened to him? Why is he wearing ARMOUR?"_

"_At present, he remains as you have always known him. But you know that he has evolved many times. He will evolve again soon. I know this given our plan to bring Sharak back. So many variables were accounted for in the planning stages…just as there would be variables NOT accounted for."_

"_HOW will he evolve? This isn't his ultimate incarnation. That would be if he assimilates me."_

"_True. This armour-clad incarnation will be his final preparation…for your inevitable confrontation."_

"_How do you know this? How do I know this?"_

"_I know because you are allowing me to guide you. You know because you are an anomaly, perfectly symbolising the maintenance of balances and opposites. You are caught in-between forces and see everything. Just as you see past…you can see future."_

"_I…begin to understand. I…can use both of everything to…SHARAK. He's COMING."_

"_He must not, Hi-Jax. It is not to late, but it will be soon!"_

"_He's coming for me. He wants my data to cure himself."_

"_He's already started his war against Organization XIII! This Darkness-Nothing War! It will be over as quickly as it starts!"_

"_Get away from me, Sharak!"_

"_Fight him, Hi-Jax! Remember everything! REMEMBER!"_

"_I WON'T LET YOU WIN! DO YOU HEAR ME, SHARAK?! I - WON'T - LET - YOU - WIN!!"_

* * *

Hi-Jax screamed as he broke free of his restraints, right as the Heartless were escorting him away. Enraged, he impaled the Heartless guards and decapitated two more.

"_KARALL!!"_

Bringing forth his swords, the anomaly screamed in rage over what had happened to him. Karall, Sternan, Miki and Coldstone…their faces, their deceit and manipulation, the hurt they had all brought to Hi-Jax, burned fiercely within him. All compassion and rational thinking exited his mind, along with everything he had become.

Neo-Shadows sprung out of the ground to recapture him, only to literally turn to dust at Hi-Jax's hands. More Heartless emerged to try and even the odds but the anomaly was truly unstoppable. Thundaga and Blizzaga strikes, light and dark fireballs, energy attacks that ripped the creature's bodies apart, all kinds of weapons to kill and maim: every trick that Hi-Jax possessed he used to decimate the Heartless force.

"I SMELL YOU _ALL_, SHARAK-SERVING SCUM!!" he yelled as he fought his way (with _ease_) towards Karall's throne room, knowing that's where they all would be. He smashed through the doors, only to be greeted by Heartless vampires.

Dozens of them.

"Impressive resistance…" remarked Karall from the balcony high above, "it's what makes food so _extra _succulent. I particularly like strong meat. So tell me…how _did _you escape? Those shackles were fashioned after the ones that held you captive in your cell."

"Use either dark or light to break free…" explained the teenager, darkly, "the other stops one from doing so. What happens then…when you use _both_ to escape? What's left to oppose both _light AND darkness_?"

"Nothing…_very _clever."

"Two against one. No _contest_."

"And something as _trivial _as electricity to torture you would just be shrugged off in your peak condition. _Truly remarkable._"

"I had a _promise _to keep," snarled Hi-Jax.

"Cretinous hypocrite…" insulted Karall. "All your experiences so far have obviously taught you _nothing_!"

"That's where you're _wrong_. I've learnt much more than _anyone _who serves under an archaic cliché whose only destiny is to _fall_."

"Enough!"

Karall summoned seven of his cult members to emerge and surround the anomaly.

"These Heartless are as you believed them to be…" explained the vampire lord. "_Hybrids_, half-human, half-Heartless. But what separates these from the ones you once knew and fought, is that _I _am responsible for creation. Instead of unifying these humans with other Heartless, I urge them to submit to my will…then I sink my teeth in to them, to take their pound of flesh…_and _their hearts for my own. I give them my darkness and a small sample of my power. They become loyal to me and my cult, as they spread my vampirism to make my influence grow and grow. They are my Cult Hybrids. And I have _thousands_…ready to _drag _you to your superior by _force_."

"GOOD - LUCK."

Two Cult Hybrids levitated themselves and began to soar around the throne room, preparing their attack. Three of them began circling Hi-Jax, dancing and singing, "_Join us! Serve the master!_" The teenager fashioned himself a massive battle axe out of light and dark energies. Then he summoned Vexen's shield and blocked the frenzied, rapid strikes from the two remaining Heartless.

The chanting was designed to distract Hi-Jax. The Cult Hybrids flying around the ceiling (ready to dive at any moment) were meant to keep him on edge. The relentless creatures (hammering away at their prey) were meant to keep him isolated, unable to have a second to breathe.

So many distractions. So many advantages.

And they all fell apart so quickly.

The deep slashes on Vexen's shield all mended as though they'd never been inflicted. Using his raw power, Hi-Jax swatted the two attacking Heartless away from him. Timing his next move correctly, the eighteen-year-old shoulder-dashed through one of the downed Cult Hybrids and into another Heartless that had been circling him. They both flew high into the air and the anomaly soon teleported in-and-out, taking turns to strike away at the Heartless, severely depleting their health levels.

One of the flying Heartless dived to attack and interrupted Hi-Jax's combination attack. The punch to the jaw staggered him and sent him crashing hard to the ground.

Karall, arms folded and smiling evilly, continued to watch from above.

"_Join us! Serve the master!_" the Cult Hybrids began again as they all lunged to their target, kicking and pounding away at him. And then they all sank their teeth into Hi-Jax, making him scream in cold agony. He could feel his body seizing, losing all control, as if he couldn't even breathe unless Karall permitted it.

The vampire's infectious darkness circulated throughout his system. The teenager felt so cold, and could hear Karall's voice gently soothing him to submit to his will. To surrender his very self to Sharak.

_Let the pain cease, Hi-Jax. Accept your crusade as folly, and do what Sternan believes. ALLOW Sharak to win so peace can exist._

Karall's patronising was the final straw.

Hi-Jax's light burst out of his heart, cleansing the vampirism completely from his system. The Cult Hybrids scurried away shielding their eyes. Karall, focused his eyes in both repulsion and confusion at the sight of the boy's transformation.

Hi-Jax stood before the Heartless, his body now comprised of holy, bright light.

"_Ultimate…UNION!!"_ the anomaly cried out, as he began to hover off the ground, and the darkness started to eclipse half of his being. His skills were developing even more as he evolved to the level he was designed to be.

Perfectly balanced. Caught in-between. Effortlessly able to wield both the light and darkness.

And dominate any and all before him.

Faster than the eye could blink, Hi-Jax flew right through three of the Cult Hybrids as though they were transparent. Seconds later, their bodies were destroyed and the hearts trailed up toward the sky.

The remaining four tried to mount a counter-attack, but Hi-Jax was truly unstoppable now. His full potential realised, a fireball, roundhouse kick, uppercut and swing from a battle axe destroyed all the Heartless vampires.

In _one second flat_.

"Steak may be the most stressful thing to cook," roared Karall in belittling fashion, "but it's _still _only a matter of _time!_"

Miki came from behind with a flying kick. Hi-Jax just turned transparent and she passed harmlessly through his body. Rolling with it, she landed gracefully on her feet and assumed her fighting stance.

"Cheap," she taunted, smirking. "And even uglier than before."

"If _you _were truly perfect," remarked Hi-Jax, arms folded as he stated matter-of-fact, "you would've been strike me before I sensed you coming."

Miki just made a 'whistling' sound and passed her hand over her head.

"Prepare to fall, false-god!"

Hi-Jax turned to his side to see Coldstone, metal and organic wings spread out, coming at him at full-rocket-power. The barrage of laser-cannon fire was fast and furious, but Hi-Jax conjured a light/dark shield to effortlessly repel the blasts back at the cyborg, knocking him out of the air. Miki joined in, firing energy blasts from her fists, via her battle suit. With one casual sword-swipe, the anomaly deflected the blasts back at her. She was able to effortlessly somersault away from harm…

Only to be greeted by Hi-Jax's fist aiming for her face.

Amazingly, she had anticipated the attack and blocked the strike, to retaliate with a blow of her own. It passed through nothing but thin air, and that was when Miki realised that she'd been fighting a mere fabrication that Hi-Jax had conjured up. She swung round to try and fend off the next attack, but it didn't come. The Kim Possible replica had sensed Hi-Jax coming to the right, but he wasn't there. The same thing happened at her left side, then above her, then behind, then in front, then below…

Hi-Jax was keeping her more and more on edge. And it was getting quicker and quicker with each passing second. Soon it became too hard to determine where he'd be coming from, when he'd strike, exactly what he'd do, even for her.

The electric staff hit her square in the chest, right in the heart, making her cry out in pain and sending her deep into blackness.

Before she fell in defeat, she felt Hi-Jax's words burn into her mind to repeat themselves over and over again until she regained consciousness.

"Think you're truly perfect, you little pretender? Kim wasn't, and that's why the original, real deal is always better than cheap copies. Because _she knows _that she isn't _truly_ perfect, even though she tries to be. You've _completely forgotten_ all those faults, and that's made you _blind_. And even if you were _perfect_ by human standards…you're only _mortal _next to _me_."

"New and improved…_sucker_," the anomaly finished.

Coldstone, back up on his feet, rocketed back at Hi-Jax, howling in rage.

"I'll be damned before I let your kind destroy another clan of mine!" he shouted, lashing out with his tail, striking with his claws, employing all kinds of violent, physical attacks…

Which the anomaly effortless, dodged and/or blocked.

"Enough," declared Hi-Jax as he grabbed Coldstone by the throat and squeezed, bringing his face into the cyborg's.

"Coldstone…listen to me. You're race is _not _dead. Sharak has _deceived _you. Goliath…members of your clan, the Wyvern Clan, they've _survived_. I befriended them before you were _created_."

Coldstone's eyes and mouth widened in surprise.

_Goliath…alive?!_ thought Othello.

_Yes…it's true! _realised Desdemona. _His words radiate genuine honesty!_

_Do not believe this pathetic pack of lies! _butted in Iago, asserting his dominance. _This unnatural human filth LIVES for mind games! He's trying to get under your skin like he does to everyone he comes into contact with! It's what he LIVES for!_

"No…lies!" denied Coldstone, choking, succumbing to Iago's voice. "You're lying! I do not know how you know of Goliath and our history but you're trying to decieve me!"

"Am I?!" asked Hi-Jax, and opened his heart for the cyborg to see. The memories of Hi-Jax's adventure in Manhattan flooded throughout Coldstone's damaged and corrupted mind. Othello was absolutely astounded. It all felt so real and honest, like there was no reason for Hi-Jax to lie to him. After all, he had befriended gargoyles in another world and helped repair the once strong relationship between gargoyles and humans.

Desdemona was at peace with what she'd seen. Like she had been proven right. And that finally, she would be reunited with her friends…a once impossible dream now made reality. She wanted to thank Hi-Jax for all he had done for gargoyle-kind, and step forward to offer an eternal vow of friendship.

Iago was absolutely infuriated. This was _not _how the plan was supposed to have gone. _Sharak _would make him suffer for this. He _had _to try and put things right somehow.

"Fight this…this _degrading façade, _Othello! Surely a gargoyle as strong and as pure as you will not succumb to this pathetic influence…!"

"_Wait_…what is this? Who are…?"

Hi-Jax had now entered Coldstone's mind. Othello and Desdemona turned and smiled to greet him. Iago looked at the half-light, half-dark teenager that stood before them…

In _fear_.

"Ah…" nodded Hi-Jax. "I understand you now…it's not just science that resurrected you. It was _sorcery _as well. And the recreation was obviously far from perfect. Othello…? Is that your name?"

"It is one that Sharak gave me," explained the primary soul, smiling warmly. "Adam, son of Mahanah…I apologise. I did not mean to…"

"It's alright, my friend," soothed the anomaly, shaking the gargoyle's hand. "What you went through…been there, done that myself. And, Desdemona…it's a _pleasure _to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Hi-Jax," she smiled, now the one to shake his hand. "I don't even know where to begin thanking you."

"And as for you…_Iago_…" laughed the anomaly menacingly as he turned to the soul under Sharak's control, "don't you have something you wish to tell your fellow clan members? _Hm_? About what you've been _up to _all this time, you naughty boy?"

Out of desperation, Iago roared savagely as he charged towards Hi-Jax.

Who just knocked him out cold.

"My friends," began the anomaly, turning to the two lovers. "Sharak has deceived this vessel, he has deceived _you_, Othello. And so has Iago. When you were resurrected, they _both _worked to…"

"IMBECILE!!"

Karall's nightmarish voice snapped Hi-Jax back to attention. His brutal assault severed the psychic link between the anomaly and Coldstone, who now stood on the spot, frozen in disbelief over what Hi-Jax had shown him, over their heart-to-heart.

Enraged, savage, bloodthirsty and animalistic, Karall continued his assault on the half-light, half-dark entity, biting, clawing, kicking and screaming.

"Do you think I'll _allow _you to turn Coldstone against us, you prattling piece of meat?!" roared the vampire lord. "This is _my _domain! Sharak gave it to me! _I _make the rules! _Unbreakable _rules! What I do, I do under Sharak's wishes! _None _can deny his victory feast! Or _mine!_"

Hi-Jax, empowered as he was, could barely feel the irritating blows. And just kicked the mad carnivore off of him. Karall back-flipped in mid-air and assumed an upright position. Arms folded, the creature assumed a calm expression on his face. Hi-Jax hurled fireballs at him, but he effortlessly evaded them, leaving behind a trailing blur of his figure.

The anomaly flew towards the vampire to engage him in mid-air conflict. The vampire continued to evade the teenager's blows, and struck back with blows of his own. The power of them was considerable, and Hi-Jax could actually feel them now. If he hadn't unleashed his Ultimate Union ability, Hi-Jax would now be picking his bloody teeth up off the ground.

"Moronic pig!" belittled Karall even more. "My cult consists of _thousands_! All those _hearts _I've taken for my own _empower _me beyond even _your _wildest dreams! I am the ultimate predator…_you are NOTHING but FOOD!"_

"Go suck on _garlic_," Hi-Jax taunted back, catching Karall's boot, twisting his ankle and slamming him hard to the ground.

The impact was brutal, and the vampire could feel every bit of it.

"You…can't…"

"_None _of Sharak's flunkies know _anything _about me. If you _did_, you'd understand that _one _heart isn't equal to another, let alone a few thousand. _My _heart…one in a _million_, you foul, disgusting animal."

"Coldstone! Miki! Help me! Sharak appointed me in charge of this operation! Come to my aid at once!"

Miki was _still _out of it, accompanied by the mocking voices in her dreams. And Coldstone was still frozen on the spot, mesmerized by everything that had been revealed to him.

"No friends left, Karall," mocked the light-dark hybrid, grabbing him by the throat and squeezing. "And your master plan's gone to pieces. Surprise, surprise…"

"That's where your _wrong_…again," the creature revealed, his horrific fanged smile taunting the boy.

Dozens of Cult Hybrid Heartless now occupied the throne room, guarding every entrance and exit, and all were hungry for blood.

"Adam!"

The anomaly turned to see the vampire Sternan only a few feet away, with two more Heartless behind him holding prisoners.

"Tai…Rachel…"

"It _ends NOW_, Hi-Jax! You're already late for your dinner date with _Sharak_!"

"Don't!" screamed Rachel. "We _never _surrender! He'll kill us all anyway!"

"I know…" replied Hi-Jax.

"My wife," began Sternan, "it is _only _Hi-Jax he wants. _We _will remain perfectly safe, just like…"

"_I made dinner reservations, dear child," explained Karall. "And Sharak approved. After he gets his long-awaited Hi-Jax feast…I will have your mother for the main course…then YOU for dessert."_

The vision of Karall saying those words for Sternan to see was courtesy of Hi-Jax, who had now had enough of all the deceit and lies. It was time to sort out all the loose ends once and for all.

And now Sternan could feel the truth, just like Coldstone had. It was real and honest…

And _shocking_.

"But…you and Sharak…_promised me…_"

The vampire's hypnosis could easily have rectified this, but Hi-Jax's power could prevent it _even more _easily. Besides which, Karall saw no point in deceiving Sternan no longer.

"And it took you _this _long to finally realise how _stupid _you are."

"But…why? I was loyal! I did everything Sharak wanted! He _always _honours bargains!"

"Remember these words?" asked Karall. "'The best deserve the best. The worst deserve the worst.' _Rid _us of the distastefully, compassionate rogue, my loyal children."

Two Cult Hybrids pounced for Sternan and started to savagely beat him. Rachel screamed for them to stop, Tai broke down into tears.

Hi-Jax, his hand still clamped round Karall's neck, felt nothing over what they were doing to Sternan.

"Now, then…are you coming along _willingly_? Or by _force_?"

Hi-Jax just snapped his fingers, and Rachel and Tai were teleported out of the Heartless' grasp and reappeared right behind him. Drawing her bow and arrow and getting in front of her son, Rachel stood by her former ruler, ready to stand her ground.

"_So be it_, you stubborn piece of steak," seethed Karall, angrily. "HEARTLESS! TAKE…!"

"NO MORE!!"

Coldstone's laser cannon burned the vampire leader's chest, blasting him backwards, making him scream in pain.

Taking his place alongside the humans, the cyborg drew his weapon and stood in front of Tai to protect him.

"As Coldstone said, you lying vermin…" declared Hi-Jax, fashioning himself a giant spear, "_no more_."

He then thrust it right into the creature's heart. As Karall screamed in his dying, a grey aura clouded his body. And thousands and thousands of hearts escaped from his body. The Cult Hybrids began to transform back into their human guises. No longer under Karall's control, the Heartless were humans once again.

But only for a brief moment.

Karall's darkness was so poisonous…that his slaves couldn't exist without it. Their bodies had become _too _damaged.

They could all feel sadness, horror, shame, disturbance and violation over everything Karall had done to them. And they could feel _rage_.

Over what they had had taken away from them…only to be given back to lose all over again.

The humans all turned to Hi-Jax as he removed his spear from Karall's heart. Absolutely powerless and dying, Karall looked around him to see that his entire cult, all his power, his reign of terror had come to its end.

And soon would his life.

Hi-Jax, Coldstone, Rachel and Tai all looked to the humans that had been freed. His magic power totally depleted and in dire need to regenerate, Hi-Jax's Ultimate Union form faded away and he resumed his normal human appearance.

Taking of his shades, the anomaly looked to the former cultists with great sadness in his eyes, knowing full well what fate awaited them.

"I'm so _sorry_…" he told the dying humans, before donning his shades again.

With that, they all turned to their captor and tormentor. And charged to tear him apart.

"No, please!" screamed Karall, as his body began crumbling away into dark dust. "Hi-Jax, my children! PLEASE HAVE MERCY!"

"You shouldn't have bit off more than you could chew, you ridiculous freak," said the anomaly coldly. "Now _choke _on it."

With that, the hideous Organization experiment screamed and crumbled, dark vapours and a heart emerging from the spot where he had once been. Seconds later…so did the humans in the throne room.

Then the castle.

And finally throughout the whole digital world.

Karall and his cult…had been eradicated.

Then there was silence.

"Hi-Jax…" began Coldstone, turning to him apologetically, "I…"

"It's alright, Coldstone," the teenager soothed, putting his hands on the cyborg's shoulders. "You don't have to say anything. You _did_ it. You're _free_."

"Alone."

Hi-Jax turned round to face Ilxsa, but as soon as she'd said that word, the gargoyle screamed in pain, hands firmly pressed against his head. The torturous energy immobilized his entire body and rendered him offline.

"NO!" protested Hi-Jax as he charged towards the Darkest Exile, who snapped her fingers and the bodies of Miki and Coldstone disappeared in a swirl of data.

"Adam…I…" was all Ilxsa said before her voice trailed away as she teleported back to Castle Oblivion.

"ILXSA!!"

"What happened?!" asked Rachel as she and Tai ran up to join the anomaly. "What did she do to Coldstone?!"

"She denied him his freedom…" he began in slow realisation. "Sharak wouldn't let him go. When our hearts melded, Coldstone and I _bonded_. We learnt so much about one another. And he was equipped with a failsafe device. Sharak'll enslave him all over again."

Hi-Jax's fist clenched and vibrated in anger. The teenager lowered his head and seethed in despair.

"All that help I gave to Coldstone…it was for _nothing_."

Brooding and silent, Hi-Jax could feel Rachel's hand about to touch his shoulder to offer support when suddenly…

"Tai…my son…"

"Father…"

Hi-Jax and Rachel turned round to see Tai hugging his father. Shockingly…he was _still_ a vampire, still deathly white and battered…but his _heart _had returned to him.

"Sternan…" began Rachel, teary-eyed and now hugging her husband. "_How_…?"

"I…do not know…I…I was a fool. I was _wrong_…please. I beg your _forgiveness_."

"I'd _forgiven _you a long time ago, my husband. _Nothing _has changed."

"Tai…I _know _we need to talk…"

"Father…I _love_ you. After all this…I just want my father back…"

And the family all huddled and wept together on their knees. Finally out of the dark cloud they'd been trapped in…and back in the light where they deserved to be.

For them, the silence was beautiful.

And blissful.

And Rachel and Tai believed _nothing _could shatter it.

They were _wrong._

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

They all looked up to see Hi-Jax standing before them.

The executioner's axe held up high, waiting to come down in judgement.

Rachel and Tai were both absolutely bewildered and aghast.

Sternan…simply understood.

"RACHEL, TAI, GET OUT OF THE WAY, _NOW_!!"

"_No_…" said Rachel sternly as she stood up to put herself between Hi-Jax and Sternan. "I _won't _let you. Not after all of this."

"That _creature_ betrayed and killed _millions _of people," Hi-Jax simply stated. "A _whole _world. _Our _whole world."

Rachel swallowed…and then reasserted herself.

"_He _hasn't got an axe raised to strike at me right this moment."

"He _betrayed_ you both! I trusted that _thing_ with my life and to help protect _my kingdom!_ It _single-handedly _destroyed my life! Because of it, my _home _and _people _are GONE! I've got _nothing _left, thanks to _it!_"

"Your majesty…" pleaded Tai, unable to fathom it all, "I _beg _you. Let him _live_…let my _father _live. Don't be obsessed with vengeance again."

"Tai, this _isn't _vengeance. It's _justice_. He committed the biggest crime of them all and he _has _to _pay _for it. It's necessary to restore the balance. Surely you can _understand _that…"

"Adam, please!" begged Rachel, as she stood aside and pointed to her husband. "_Think_! _Listen_! _Look_!"

Hi-Jax paused to look down at his betrayer. Sternan was tired, wounded…and there was _such _sadness and fear in his eyes. And a desperation to be understood.

The anomaly looked deep into the creature's heart. The reasons why he aligned himself with Sharak repeated themselves in the teenager's head. But that wasn't what _confused _him.

Starting to loosen his grip on the axe, Hi-Jax asked quietly, "What…what's happened to him? Why didn't he die along with Karall and the rest of the cult?"

"He did the wrong thing for the _right _reason!" Rachel tried to explain. "He did what he felt was necessary to keep us _safe_! Sternan's heart is full of contradictions! It's what's made him _special_! So _tragic_! Surely _you _of all people can understand that!"

"But he…"

"He was a _pawn_ as well as a traitor! He's long realised and accepted his sins! That's why he's been _saved_ and punished to be like this for eternity! He's already suffered and paid for his crimes! Justice has been served! The balance has already been restored! Sternan is blind no longer! And what about _you_, Hi-Jax?"

The teenager looked deep into Rachel's tear-filled eyes.

"Have you become so blinded that you refuse to accept fate's verdict? Do you _blindly _wish to surrender all understanding so you can appoint _yourself _judge, jury and executioner? Why are you ignoring your _heart_?"

Trembling, Hi-Jax lowered and dropped the axe.

"I…didn't…I mean…I mean…"

His lip began to wobble. He threw his shades from his face so that the family could all see the despair in his eyes.

"Rachel…Tai…they're all _gone_. They all _died_…"

Hi-Jax broke down into tears. Rachel rushed to hug him tightly. Tai also continued to cry as he and his father looked on.

"Why?" Sternan asked Hi-Jax, ridden with guilt. "Why did we survive? When others don't? And deserve to more than us?"

Hi-Jax looked right into the creature's eyes. So many answers were on the tip of his tongue.

_Because Organization XIII and Sharak want to see us suffer? Because DiZ, King Mickey and Terron gave us purpose and the will to carry on so we could one day rebuild? Because we're BORN survivors? Because we're just LUCKY? Because…because…_

In the end, Hi-Jax's answer was simply, "I don't know. I just don't know anymore."

"Neither do I, my liege," replied Sternan, equally clueless and distraught. "Neither do I."

The silence fell again. This time, it was awkward and filled with nothing but survivor's pain and guilt.

"What happens now?" asked Rachel, finally.

Sternan rose to his feet, Tai holding his hand and looking up at him. He didn't want to let go.

"I have received my punishment," he declared, looking at his hands. "Condemned to remain the rest of my life as this unholy abomination. Now, I must live out that sentence. In the prison of _exile_."

Hi-Jax and Rachel rose to their feet to look at him.

"Dad…please…I don't want you to go…"

"You deserve better than me, Tai. And you are strong enough to live on without me. Strong enough to survive this ungodly war. Goodbye, my son."

Sternan kneeled again to tightly hug his only son. Tai nodded his head in painful understanding, yet refused to like it. After they separated, Rachel went up to her husband to hug and kiss him goodbye for the final time.

"I love you, Rachel. I never stopped and I never will."

"I love you too, Sternan. _Always_."

Then finally, the vampire and anomaly faced each other.

Exile and exile.

And they both simply nodded at each other.

Having knowledge of the escape codes, Sternan was easily able to leave the simulated 'Sanctuary'. He turned and flew away, disappearing in a flash of data. Tai chased after him, holding his hand out, calling out to his father.

After Sternan had vanished, Hi-Jax, Rachel and Tai were the only three left. They all looked to one another and hugged again, once more alone.

* * *

Back at Castle Oblivion, Ilxsa went over several status reports on the computer. Miki would soon recover from her defeat, but would need counselling from Magica to help overcome the voices in her sleep that Hi-Jax had left. Even though taunts meant nothing to Miki, they were still relentless, irritating and distracting for her. They had to be eliminated so she could regain her efficiency.

A thorough search through the 'Sanctuary' program revealed that Hi-Jax, Rachel and Tai had long escaped. Seeing no point to keep it running given its failure, Ilxsa declared there was nothing left of the plan to salvage and nurture and thus deleted the program from the computer's system.

"Computer…" commanded Ilxsa, "access Coldstone CPU."

"_Accessing…"_

A data scan of Coldstone appeared on the computer screen. The Darkest Ilxsa turned to see the cyborg laid out unconscious on the bed. Using the 'Alone' codeword to shut him down had been cruel, Ilxsa had realised. Especially after everything Hi-Jax had done to help the gargoyle.

And that made what the Nobody was about to do now, even more cruel.

She knew this…and her human feelings began to resurface, along with the kinship she felt with the cyborg. But the goodness was soon defeated by cold logicality and the lack of a heart.

"Delete all memories of the past twenty-four hours for this unit," ordered the Darkest Exile, as she input additional commands. "Restore all default settings for soul programs."

"_Complying…"_ replied the computer. _"Will notify when sorcery input is required for repairs to this unit."_

While the computer set about its task, Ilxsa accessed Karall's file and labelled it 'DECEASED'. Then she turned and walked to Sharak, who was trying so hard to contain his fury. Ilxsa felt it logical not to say anything, as it would doubtless provoke a violent reaction.

Sharak's eyes blared as he turned to his second-in-command.

"This was a _crucial _operation," he stressed. "It had enormous potential, its success was imperative and it _failed_. What's more, I have now lost yet another warrior. This is even more damaging, because Karall was actually _loyal_ as well as efficient. The damage that Hi-Jax has inflicted on me today is high. And that cannot be permitted given the war as well as the Sora factor."

"I understand, master," nodded Ilxsa. "What do you want to do?"

"I can afford no more setbacks. I want Hi-Jax brought to me _now_ before he becomes too powerful to capture. I need more Heartless to oppose the Nobodies on the battlefield. And I _need _even more warriors. Find them, bargain for them, make them, I_ don't_ care. Get me new recruits, the _best _recruits possible and bring them to me _immediately_."

"Yes, Sharak."

* * *

At the Possible household in Middleton, excitement ran wild. The Possible family, Ron and Wade were all there, ready to throw a surprise party for Kim. The 'Welcome home, Kim!' and 'Thank you, Hi-Jax!' banners had been hung up along with the balloons, the food and drinks were all ready and everyone was ready for the joy and celebrations to begin.

At last, Kim Possible was coming home.

They heard the knocking on the door.

Ron, Wade and Kim's family, all excited and beside themselves, rushed to answer the door.

Then the smiles instantly dropped.

Hi-Jax stood before them with his shades off. Kim's loved ones could instantly tell that he'd been crying and that he was hurting really bad. The teenage exile had no smile on his face and really needed comfort and support, more than ever before.

Knowing that the news was bad and Hi-Jax direly wanted help, Wade and Ron partook in the group hug. Then Kim's parents joined in. Her younger brothers, Jim and Tim, looked at one another, then at Hi-Jax in sadness.

They all sat down together in the living room over cups of coffee.

And Hi-Jax told them all the whole story.

After he'd finished, Ron was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry, man…"

"So am I, pal," said the anomaly. "So am I."

"I've scanned dozens of Kim clones before," explained Wade, shaking his head in disbelief. "All cheap copies made by Drakken…I _should've_…"

"That's Vexen for ya. He always did make _really _good copies. Enough to fool practically anyone and everyone."

"Kim…" asked Mrs Possible. "What have they done to the _real _her? Is she…?"

"No, she's not dead," interrupted Hi-Jax, shaking his head, absolutely sure of himself. "When I linked with Coldstone…I discovered a few things. One of them is _this_. Kim is _definitely _still alive. She's still their prisoner. But she's not in Castle Oblivion. They've _moved _her."

"Where to?" asked Dr. Possible.

"That I _don't _know. I'd imagine the 'higher powers' keep that to themselves, to stop me from knowing something I shouldn't. But you can count on this…I _am _going to find the _real _Kim Possible, rescue her and bring her home. And I _always _keep my promises."

Kim's family all smiled at him warmly.

"So…what happened to Rachel and Tai?" asked Ron.

"I took them to Traverse Town," the anomaly explained. "Able to get them a nice house, all peaceful and quiet, where they'll be safe and happy. And where I can keep watch over them."

"At least they survived to get a happy ending."

"Yeah."

They all fell silent again to have another swig from their coffee cups.

"I'm sorry, Hi-Jax…" said Wade.

"What for?"

"For everything. And because of that thing with Sternan. I know you trusted him 'n' all."

"To be honest, Wade…" sighed the teenage exile. "Given everything that's happened and all those complications…I just don't know how I feel about him right now."

"D'ya reckon you'll ever see him again?" asked Ron.

"Oh, YES…"

Hi-Jax turned his attention to the window, looking out to the world.

"One day…"

* * *

**_Author's note: PHEW! Crikey oh blimey! That was a tough one to put together! Sorry you had to wait so long for it, but I hope you find it was worth it. After struggling with writers' block for so long, I was finally able to overcome it these last two days and get some serious writing done. I'm really proud of this chapter and my ability to resolve this little arc quite nicely. I hope you guys enjoy it._**

**_Thanks as always for your reviews. Please keep 'em comin'!_**

**_As for the next chapter...duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh...and REALLY bad eggs...drink UP, me hearties! Yo-ho!_**

**_D.C. Wood (01/07/08)_**


	15. Chapter 15: Crossing Forbidden Seas

**_Author's note: Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho! Hope you enjoy this. Please provide feedback as always._**

**_D.C. Wood (24/7/08)_**

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 15: Crossing Forbidden Seas**

_Are you sure about this?_

_Of course I am, Wade, _Hi-Jax replied telepathically.

_Ditching the H.J.F.M.? Breaking all lines with me? I don't think that's such a good idea, Hi-Jax. 'Cause once you finish this conversation, that'll HAVE to be it. Inter-world telepathy takes a LOT out of you, draining your health and magic…it could cost you your HEART! And I'm struggling as it is to try and receive this communication via my computer! There's so much risk here and it's gonna have to stop NOW! And when it does you'll be on your own for the duration of this world unless you come back here! I mean…what if you need help?_

_Wade, I appreciate your concern but there's honestly no need for you to worry. The reason why I went back to your place to drop off the H.J.F.M. after coming here is because the FIRST THING that I noticed is that this world is devoid of all technology. I don't wanna freak the natives and I'm not sure it'll work all that well here, anyway. 'Sides which…after the last few days, I could do with a break from technology. And cities and…modern living._

_So why did Xemnas pave the way to THIS world? _asked the computer genius. _It's certainly weird. Don't know what to expect whenever you visit these places but this…it's so 'back in the past' and the people are so…life-like._

_Yep…perfect change of scenery. Anyway…I know this world. I studied it during my schooling. Now I can learn a bit more and sight-see._

_And that's why you had a change of wardrobe, as well?_

_Uh-huh…perfect working vacation. Right, I'll be off. I'll pick up the H.J.F.M. from you when I'm finished here. I'll update my diary as well when I see you next._

_Okay. Hopefully, I'll have had more luck with Sharak and the Organization's computers. And more of a clue as to what they're doing and where Kim is._

_Alright, buddy, _Hi-Jax signed off._ See you in a few days._

_Later, dude, _signalled Wade.

It was a beautiful sunny morning. Hi-Jax was dressed up in a huge black overcoat, and old white shirt, grey trousers and boots, complete with hat. His attire was befitting of a young, somewhat roguish merchant sailor. The sea air was so cool and refreshing. The wavy, blue water was nice and calming, and the simple townsfolk was heart-warming, outgoing and generally friendly.

As Hi-Jax walked along the pier surveying the harbour, citizens greeting him and vice-versa, he looked to see all the ships and sailors to-ing and fro-ing. The beautiful palm trees, the fabulous stone buildings, the magnificent battlements with the soldiers parading…

And the whole heart-warming atmosphere of the Caribbean itself.

Hi-Jax smiled happily. Too long had he concentrated on the darkness. It was time now to focus on a little light to balance it all out.

_This is good_, he realised, beaming in the sun. _This is SO what I needed._

Then he said chirpily to himself, "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr Hi-Jax."

* * *

"Ay!"

The man, casually moving the helm from left to right, had imagined himself being the captain of this ship. The Interceptor it was called. A fine vessel of the Royal Navy to be sure, supposedly the fastest ship in the whole Caribbean.

The man had already evaluated the two soldiers guarding the dock to be rather dense, slow and dim-witted. He'd easily been able to manipulate them into arguing with one another over the fastest ship and the legend of the Black Pearl, the fiercest pirate ship in these seas.

During the two soldiers' petty bickering, he'd just waltzed right onto the Interceptor's deck and made himself feel right at home. By the time they'd realised they'd been had, they immediately ran up to the stranger, rifles drawn and pointed at him. Upon hearing their shouting at him, he just looked casually at them.

"You! Get away from there!" ordered one of the soldiers. "You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate!"

"I'm sorry, but it's such a pretty boat. Ship!" the somewhat camp-acting man corrected himself at the last moment.

"What's your name?"

"Smith! Or Smithy, if you like."

"What's your purpose in Port Royal, 'Mr Smith'?"

"And no lies!" added the other soldier.

"All right then, I confess," began the stranger, stepping away from the helm as the bumbling soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons. "It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, rape, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasly black guts out."

"I said no lies!"

"I think he's telling the truth," murmured his comrade, eyes narrowed.

"If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have _told _us," sighed the other soldier.

"Unless of course he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you," pointed out the sailor.

This only confused the sailors even more.

* * *

In the town, Hi-Jax was having such a pleasant time, enjoying the marketplace, surveying the stores, passing greetings onto friendly folk…

It was just what he needed.

"Good morning, ma'am," the teenager greeted as he walked up to the fruit stall.

"Good morning to you, young sir," the stall owner cheerfully greeted back.

"How much are your apples?"

"Five munny each, sir."

"One, please."

Hi-Jax handed the currency over and was allowed to help himself to a delicious, juicy-looking apple. Then, he turned to the fort, hearing the magnificent music play, and seeing many well-dressed, rich and aristocratic people inside.

_Some kind of ceremony, _mused the eighteen-year-old, keenly interested. "Excuse me, ma'am. It would seem there is quite the event taking place at the fort. May I enquire as to the occasion?"

"You are not from round here, young sir?" the stall owner replied, surprised.

"No, I am new to Port Royal. I only just arrived this morning."

"Captain Norrington of the Royal Navy is being promoted today to the rank of commodore. It is a great honour for the Imperial Fleet and a momentous occasion in itself. Great news for us all. Of course, it is for Port Royal's elite to attend only."

"Ah, very good," nodded Hi-Jax. _Might be worth a nosey. _"Thank you. Have a good day."

The apple tasted so crisp and sweet. It was heaven to the teenage exile. All those months of eating junk in Ruination City had taught him to appreciate really excellent food even more. Much more than he had done in his previous life as Adam.

Greater the darkness, so too greater the light.

It was one lesson and experience that in hindsight…he was truly thankful for.

He walked down to the harbour, happily munching away at his apple, looking deep inside the fort to get a closer look.

_Nah…too boring and posh_, Hi-Jax decided on second thought. _One time I would've done, but not now._

And so he just sat on the pier, carrying on eating, looking out to sea, watching the ships sailing into and out of the harbour, and just basking in the serenity of it all.

It was deep and Hi-Jax loved it.

But it didn't last much longer.

He felt a heart. It was strong but growing fainter and fainter. It interested the anomaly.

Then he heard a man screaming, "ELIZABETH!"

Hi-Jax instantly turned to the top of the battlements to see a military man who he assumed to be this Commodore Norrington. He looked frantic and about to dive into the watery grave dozens of feet below him. His lieutenant pulled him back, warning him of the rocks. The Navy soon rallied and sprinted to the rescue. Hi-Jax then looked to the bottom of the cliff, to see the subsiding spot where someone had just fallen in.

"Oh, hell…" he gasped, throwing the remainder of his apple into the sea, removing his hat and coat and diving in to rescue the woman.

* * *

On the deck of the Interceptor, the strange sailor and the soldiers had seen the woman fall into the sea. The soldiers were completely shocked.

"Will you be saving her, then?" asked the stranger thinking _Oh, blimey_, as he pointed to the spot where she'd landed.

"I can't swim!" confessed the soldier in despair. The man looked to the other soldier, who looked panicked and had no idea what to do.

"Pride of the King's Navy, you are!" said the man, removing his hat, coat and belongings and thrusting them into the arms of the soldiers. "Do _not _lose these!"

The soldiers could only watch as the stranger dived overboard to come to the woman's rescue.

Hi-Jax was soon approaching the unconscious woman. She was beautiful, elegant and young the anomaly instantly noticed. She couldn't have been more than a few years older than Hi-Jax. Her heart, fading away each passing second, had such potential strength. The teenage exile could feel it, imagining how circumstance could shape it into that of a truly courageous adventurer.

As he closed in to grab her, Hi-Jax noticed something else. Fastened around the woman's neck, flailing upward as she fell, was a gold medallion, beautiful and shiny…with an intimidating skull in the centre. It was a pirate medallion, Hi-Jax noted. He also smelt the odd scent it radiated. It was like a force, something evil and…cursed.

Hi-Jax could see the medallion and was entranced by it immediately. Then a bizarre shockwave radiated from it, like a stone had just been cast into a pond. The anomaly felt the affects and also felt so weak all of a sudden. Like…the medallion had taken something away from him. And the force it had emitted was now rippling throughout the entire ocean.

_What was that? _wondered the teenager, no longer feeling as though he could breath for hours underwater. Already fearing the worst, he snapped back to attention to see the woman had landed on the seabed. Swimming faster, Hi-Jax grabbed the woman and took her to the surface, where he gasped for air, already feeling much more tired than he should have. Normally, it would have been an effortless rescue for the teenager, but he was really struggling now. And before he knew it, his tiredness and the woman's weight was dragging him back under sea level.

_Which idiot came up with this dress? No wonder she passed out! It'll be the death of both of us!_

The anomaly was determined not to give up, and willed himself, despite his mysterious weakening, to try and get back to the surface. Then he noticed a mysterious stranger swimming towards him at top speed, gesturing him to move to one side. Knowing better to argue, Hi-Jax complied and the sailor ripped away the heavy dress, grabbed her and signalled to the teenager to swim upward together.

Making it back to the dock where the Interceptor was, Hi-Jax climbed out first and aided the man in getting the woman out of the water. The sailor followed and the two soldiers rushed to help. They laid her down gently on the pier and checked her pulse.

"She's not breathing!"

"Out of the way!" yelled Hi-Jax and began to administer CPR to the woman. She wasn't responding and the anomaly began to fear.

"C'mon…please…"

"Move!" ordered the sailor as he drew a knife and cut away the very tight corset that the woman was wearing. She instantly opened her eyes and violently coughed out some water. The man thrust the shredded corset into the arms of the standing soldier, who looked somewhat embarrassed.

"I never would've thought of that," remarked the kneeling soldier, impressed.

"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," replied the stranger.

As the woman stopped spluttering and began to regain her breath and composure, she looked first to see the young man holding her hand to comfort her.

"It's alright, miss. You're safe now," he assured her. "My name is Hi-Jax. What's your name?"

The woman's confusion subsided and she nearly smiled in gratitude. Before she could, though, she turned to see that the stranger had instantly taken a startled interest in the pirate medallion around her neck, as though he knew it so well.

Hi-Jax noticed this and turned to look at the man, then at the medallion. He tried to use his powers to analyse it but found that he just couldn't. And any attempt to do so made him feel sick and dizzy.

With the medallion in his fingers, the man looked at the woman, absolutely bewildered, and asked her, "Where did you get that?"

"On your feet. _Both _of you."

Hi-Jax and the man, looked up to see Commodore Norrington and his men all stone-faced with their swords and guns pointed at them.

_I should've seen their hearts coming a mile away! _thought Hi-Jax, eyes narrowed in anger as he and the stranger stood up. _What did that medallion do to me?_

"Do we have the right to remain silent?" asked the teenager innocently. "Or are we allowed to explain that this is far from what it looks like?"

"Best keep it shut, lad," nodded the man, whispering whilst keeping his eyes on Norrington. "Kind of blokes with guns so much bigger than their brains and…_other _body parts…like to shoot first, ask questions _never_."

"Elizabeth!" exclaimed an important looking gentleman as he rushed to aid his daughter. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured and quickly hid her medallion from everyone's sight. As her father wrapped a blanket around Elizabeth, he turned to see the soldier rather sheepishly holding her corset that had been sliced. He quickly dropped it and pointed to the suspicious-looking sailor. The governor of Port Royal turned to look at the man and Hi-Jax. Blind anger and despair overwhelmed him immediately.

"Shoot them!"

"Father!"

"What?"

"Commodore…do you really intend to kill my rescuers?"

Looking over to Elizabeth, then at Hi-Jax and the stranger, Norrington nodded and withdrew his sword. His men followed suit. The strange sailor turned with his hands pressed together, smiled and nodded graciously to Elizabeth.

"Thank you," said Hi-Jax, nodding gratefully. Elizabeth nodded back.

"How apropos," agreed the commodore, holding his hand out to the stranger. "I believe thanks _are _in order."

The man initially seemed hesitant, but agreed to it. However, as soon as their hands clasped, Norrington yanked him forward and pulled his sleeve up to reveal that his forearm had been branded with the letter 'P'.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we…_pirate_?" asked the commodore, casually.

The man shuddered in angst.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Hi-Jax, turning to the pirate absolutely gob smacked. He didn't know what surprised him more. The fact that he was now associated with a criminal…or he'd been so stupid and powerless as to not see it sooner so he could've avoided this.

"Hang him!" ordered the governor, casually, much to the pirate's disdain.

"Keep your guns on him, men!" commanded Norrington. "Gillette, fetch some irons."

"What about the boy, sir?"

"Search him."

_I owe you for this, _groaned Hi-Jax to himself as he reluctantly put his hands above his head, allowing the soldiers to search him.

"We found these, lieutenant," reported a soldier, bringing forth Hi-Jax's hat and coat. "Abandoned on the pier nearest the fort. Looked suspicious."

"Ah…very nice indeed," remarked the lieutenant, patronizing the teenager. "Yours?"

"They're _nicer _than _yours_," Hi-Jax mocked back. "So guess."

The lieutenant glared at him, whereas Elizabeth almost chuckled. As the men continued to search Hi-Jax, the commodore rolled up the pirate's sleeve even more to reveal a tattoo of a bird diving into ocean waves with the sunset behind.

"Well, well," remarked Norrington as he unhanded the pirate's arm, shoving it away. "Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

_Sparrow…? _overheard Hi-Jax, thinking back once more to his schooling. _The most contradictory pirate who ever lived?_

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," insisted the man. Norrington just looked around him in condescending fashion.

"I don't see your _ship_…'Captain'."

"I'm in the market, as it were," he shrugged in somewhat exaggerated modesty.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," explained one of the bumbling soldiers.

"Told you he was telling the truth," pointed out his comrade, as he brought forth Sparrow's belongings. "These are his, sir."

The commodore picked up the pistol first to examine it, much to the pirate's embarrassment.

"Hmm…no additional shot nor powder…a compass that doesn't point north…"

Then he unsheathed the sword to examine it. Smiling, he looked back to Sparrow.

"And I half-expected it to be made of wood."

The pirate just smiled sheepishly.

"You are without a doubt the _worst _pirate I've ever heard of," remarked Norrington, as his men smirked at the pirate.

"But you _have _heard of me," pointed out Sparrow, feeling pride and optimism all of a sudden.

Hi-Jax rolled his eyes upward in disbelief. The commodore just glared and roughly escorted him away. The other soldiers then brought Hi-Jax forward as well.

"Commodore, I really must protest!" said Elizabeth as she followed.

"Carefully, Lieutenant," warned Norrington, as his men began to chain Sparrow.

"We've finished searching the boy, sir," reported one of the soldiers as they brought him to face their commander. "He's clean."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, sir. No tattoos, no branding mark, no weapons of any kind…only these items."

Norrington turned to examine Hi-Jax's belongings. The anomaly glared at him for invading his privacy.

"Interesting…an Elixir bottle, a wallet for munny…"

He looked curiously at the golden, hear-shaped locket and opened it to reveal a black-and-white photo of Hi-Jax with his wife and child.

"Quite the family picture, young man," remarked Norrington, looking at him eye-to-eye.

"Can I have it back now, _sir_? Or is it a crime here to have something like that here in Port Royal?"

The commodore didn't take too kindly to people taking that tone with him.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Hi-Jax."

"A very odd name indeed. Tell me, 'Mr Hi-Jax'…where have you _come from_?"

"Another port of origin," he explained. "I like to travel all over the world. I'm here for a little holiday."

"And you chose to help save someone's life. Why?"

"Just doing my civic duty, sir."

"Humph," snorted Norrington as he looked at the final item in Hi-Jax's possession. It was a curious thing. A beautiful-looking, little red booklet with gold, italic writing on the front cover.

"'Ansem's Report'," read out Norrington, intrigued. He soon noted to himself the beautiful handwriting inside, and engrossing narrative on the first page.

"Ansem?" asked the governor, confused. "Did you say Ansem?"

"Do you know the name, sir?"

"It sounds very familiar. _Too _familiar for my liking. May I?"

Norrington handed the governor the little book for him to read, much to Hi-Jax's disdain.

"How did you come across this?" demanded Elizabeth's father, after looking through a few pages.

"An old acquaintance of mine gave it to me," explained Hi-Jax, not wanting to mention DiZ's name. He was already in enough trouble as it was.

"And just who is this…'Ansem'?" asked Norrington, innocently.

"A _genius_, Commodore. And a man who was king of his own little world. You'd have really liked him."

Now it was Jack Sparrow's turn to overhear…and become greatly intrigued by his new associate.

"What shall we do with him, sir?" asked the lieutenant, his sword pointed at Hi-Jax.

"The young man is obviously clean, likes to talk and do his civic duty, _clearly nothing _to hide, so I'm sure he won't mind cooperating with us and indulge me in a little, trivial conversation. Take him to my office."

The teenager's eyes narrowed.

"As for 'Captain' Sparrow…proven criminal. Hang him at once."

Elizabeth interjected herself between the commodore and the pirate, who had just finished being chained.

"Pirate or not, this man helped save my life!"

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness!"

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," remarked Sparrow.

"_Indeed_," glared Norrington.

The soldier who had chained Sparrow turned away to rejoin the other troops, giving the pirate the opportunity he needed.

"Finally."

He quickly wrapped his shackled hands round the vulnerable Elizabeth's neck. The chain was now in a position to either choke her or snap her neck. The governor, commodore, Hi-Jax and naval soldiers, startled by Sparrow's ability to turn the situation around, all stepped forward only to quickly stop, knowing that the pirate wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"No! Don't shoot!" panicked the governor to the soldiers with their guns raised.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," whispered the pirate fiercely to Elizabeth, who struggled to remain brave.

"Let her go, Sparrow," demanded Hi-Jax, ignoring the guns pointed at him. "She's an innocent woman."

"Needs must, lad," grinned the pirate evilly. "And _no one's _innocent. Deep down, I think you of all people must know that."

Hi-Jax knew that he had to be careful. One wrong move and he'd either horrify these people into thinking he was the devil or more likely kill Elizabeth. Teleportation and magic were out of the question, so he decided on a little, subtle telekinesis to break the wooden plank on the spot where Sparrow was standing, to make him lose his balance and give him the chance to rescue Elizabeth.

He secretly gestured his hand to focus his move…but nothing happened. He tried again and again but still nothing.

Then it hit him.

_I've lost my powers! That medallion's robbed me of my powers! GREAT!_

"Commodore Norrington, my effects, please," asked Sparrow politely. "And my hat."

Norrington hesitated as the governor looked anxiously at him.

"Commodore!"

He chose to comply. Sparrow then spoke casually into his captive's ear.

"Elizabeth…it is Elizabeth?"

"It's _Miss Swann_," she sneered.

"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear, we don't have all day."

Norrington handed Sparrow his pistol and the rest to Elizabeth. The pirate turned the governor's daughter round to face her, with his gun pointed at her head.

"If you'll be very kind."

Elizabeth reluctantly put the hat on top of the pirate's head. Then fastened the sheath (with sword), belt and holster around his waist. As she did so, Sparrow moved into give her a cuddle, and smiled to the soldiers as though it was all lovely.

With his compass and everything back in his possession, Jack said, "Easy on the goods, darling," as Elizabeth very tightly fastened his belongings to his body.

"You're despicable," she sneered.

"Sticks and stones, love," shrugged the pirate. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square."

_Jack Sparrow_, thought Hi-Jax. _The most contradictory pirate whoever lived._

Turning her round to face the gun-wielding platoon, Sparrow addressed them all.

"Gentlemen, my lady, you will always remember this as the day you _almost _caught…Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Removing his chained hands from Elizabeth's neck, the pirate shoved her forwards into the arms of Norrington and her father. He then grabbed hold of a rope and kicked the metal release mechanism on the stone wall next to him. The crane pulley up above lowered the suspended cannon at frightening speed. It crashed through the pier, sending the soldiers scattering.

Up above, Jack had used the cannon's fall to propel him upwards as far as he could go. The Navy opened fire as Jack screamed uncontrollably, spinning round and round as the wooden crane swung him so. He quickly managed to stop and landed on another crane arm. Wrapping his chains round the rope above him, he zipped down the line away from the docks and onto harbour ground. He ran as fast as his legs could allow him, with Commodore Norrington and his troops hot on Sparrow's heels.

Hi-Jax took advantage of the situation to quickly gather his hat, coat and own personal effects to make a run for it when no one was looking. He went in the same direction Sparrow was going, trying to teleport to cut him off. Yet his powers refused to respond.

After a few more failed attempts, the anomaly realised he was powerless and quickly decided to deal with this mystery later. Right now, he had a certain pirate to get even with.

_Oh, well…already knew this was going to be a working vacation. Much more fun._

* * *

Will Turner had gotten back from Governor Swann's house this morning having delivered the sword he had made for Norrington's promotion ceremony. After running through his other errands and hearing of the commotion that had gone on at the docks, the young blacksmith had made it home to discover that the donkey pulling the giant gears had panicked and was making them rotate. He quickly stroked the animal to assure it that everything was alright. When the donkey had calmed down, Will took off his coat and put it to one side, then began looking for what could've caused the disturbance.

Mr Brown, Will's employer and foster father was fast asleep in his chair, right where the young blacksmith had left him. Then he saw the hammer on the anvil, _not _where Will had left it. He then turned his attention to a hat that he didn't recognise. As he reached to touch it, a sword then came into play over Will's hand. He looked and backed away as Jack Sparrow emerged from the shadows.

"You're the one they're hunting," realised Will. "The pirate!"

"You seem somewhat familiar," eyed Jack curiously. "Have I threatened you before?"

"I make it a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."

"Ah! Well then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse me."

As Jack turned to leave, Will grabbed a nearby sword and pointed it at him. Jack slowly turned round to face him.

"I think that's his way of saying you're not going anywhere, Jolly Roger."

Jack turned round to see Hi-Jax drop down from the ceiling with a sword he'd borrowed from the blacksmiths. Now pointed at Sparrow. Will eyed the teenager suspiciously.

"Sorry to barge in, friend," explained Hi-Jax. "I was on holiday, then by misunderstanding, I ended up being branded suspect number two by accidental affiliation with public enemy number one here. Rest assured, I'm no pirate. Only here to get even and clear my name."

"Y'know, you took that whole thing much too personally, son," remarked Sparrow. "Really, it wasn't anything personal."

"Personal?!" exclaimed Hi-Jax. "You threatened an innocent woman, made me a suspect in aiding and abetting, you've broken and entered into someone's home and now you're threatening someone else innocent! In what way is that 'not personal', you hypocrite?!"

"Look who's talking," remarked Jack, innocently. "_And _breaking into someone's home, and threatening someone's life…and _making _it personal?"

As Jack's eyes widened in 'I've got you there' fashion, Hi-Jax struggled to find his words.

"That's _different_," was all the teenager could say.

"Is it? No, it isn't. Because even though personality and views make all humans differ by nature, it is commonplace to accept that _actions _make us all the same by nature. SO…once again, it proves my fact correct that no one is innocent and we are all hypocrites. Savvy?"

Hi-Jax just stared and countered, "I fear your hypothesis is at fault."

"I fear _not_," Jack countered back.

They then both turned to look at Will, who just seemed as though he'd had no idea what they'd just talked about.

"Sorry, sir," said Hi-Jax. "I'm…uh…"

"I know you're not the guilty one, sir," assured Will. "It's _obvious _who is."

"Do you think this wise, children?" asked Sparrow. "Crossing blades with a pirate?"

"I've crossed blades with _much _worse," retorted Hi-Jax.

"You threatened, Miss Swann," said Will in a deathly quiet voice.

"Only a little," smirked the pirate.

Hi-Jax made the first move, thrusting forward with his weapon. Even without his powers, the natural skills he had acquired from his training with the Council of Light were still his. His swordsmanship was superb, but Sparrow's was truly exceptional, as he gracefully defended himself from both Hi-Jax and Will's attacks. After some excellent exchanges, the three reached a stand-off.

"You both know what you're doing, I'll give you that," conceded Jack. "Excellent form. But how's your footwork?"

After a couple more graceful sword clashes, the pirate was able to skilfully manipulate his adversaries so that he could turn around and inadvertently clash their swords against each other's. They both then turned to see that Sparrow, sword withdrawn was now right near the door.

"Ta," he waved goodbye, making for the exit. Before he could leave, though, Will (with expert marksmanship) threw his sword at the door, only inches away from Jack's face. It embedded deep into the latch, stopping it from moving. Hi-Jax whistled to show how impressed he was. Will smiled thankfully, whereas Jack struggled for several seconds trying to get the sword out. Only to discover that he couldn't.

"That is a _wonderful _trick," complimented Sparrow, as he turned back to them, unsheathing his blade. "Except once again, you two are now between me and my way out. And now…only one of you has a weapon."

"Oh, yeah," nodded Hi-Jax sarcastically as he attacked the pirate, putting himself between Sparrow and Will. The blacksmith, refusing to leave the teenager to fight alone, pulled himself another sword from the collection and joined in.

Sparrow sidestepped a sword thrust from Hi-Jax and used his broken chains to whip round the blade and yank it out of the anomaly's grasp. The teenager quickly ducked Sparrow's sword swing and rolled away to find another weapon. Will took over engaging the pirate, as they thought in between the massive rotating machinery. The donkey, once more startled, moved to rotate the devices.

"Who makes all these?" asked Jack, noting the dozens of swords that were hanging everywhere.

"I do," explained Will_, _smiling as they continued to duck and exchange sword strikes. "And I practice with them three hours a day."

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate!"

Hi-Jax, now with two swords in hand, jumped back into the fray. Sparrow blocked and kicked Will away from him. The young blacksmith tripped over one of the rotating poles of the machinery and hit his head on the ground, momentarily stunning him. Sparrow then grabbed a nearby axe and swung for Hi-Jax's face. The teenage exile leaned back, narrowly missing the strike and proceeded to guard himself from Sparrow's next sword barrage.

Hi-Jax retaliated by kicking the axe out of Jack's hand and pouring the pressure on with his sword attacks. Jack couldn't match the two-on-one sword disadvantage and soon found himself disarmed. Hi-Jax smiled as he pointed his swords at the pirate. Eyeing something right behind the anomaly, Jack dived past Hi-Jax, right under the sword lunge, leapt onto the nearby work bench, grabbed the canvas sand chute used to put out the furnace, and poured a massive cloud of sand into the teenager's face.

Coughing, spluttering and swiping away the sand, Hi-Jax dropped his swords and scrambled to get out of the pouring dust. Soon managing to regain his composure, he grabbed a nearby hammer and turned round, ready to strike at his foe.

Who now had his pistol aimed squarely at him.

"Cheat," belittled Hi-Jax.

"Pirate," pointed out Jack.

They both then looked to see the door starting to break in. The soldiers had arrived.

"Move away!" ordered the pirate.

"Don't think so, 'mate',"refused the anomaly, resolutely standing his ground, even without his powers.

"_Please _move?" asked Jack desperately, really not wanting to pull the trigger.

"Forget it!" snapped Hi-Jax. "I don't move for scum! Besides which…I'm not the kind of guy that's afraid to die. Are you, the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow, the kind of guy that's afraid to kill?"

Jack snarled and readied to fire, now really reluctant to do so because of Hi-Jax's goading.

"This shot is _not _meant for you," he fiercely explained. With that, the teenager's eyes narrowed in confusion.

_There's much more to this guy than he's letting on…what, though? And why…?_

The tense, awkward moment was broken along with the jar that had been smashed over Jack's head, courtesy of Will. Sparrow collapsed to the floor and seconds later, the Navy kicked the door in and flooded the blacksmiths', guns pointed at the fallen pirate.

"Excellent work, Mr Turner," congratulated Norrington. "You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."

"Thank you, sir," nodded Will. "But I cannot take complete credit. This man saved my life, he stopped the pirate from escaping."

Norrington turned to Hi-Jax who smiled and nodded at him.

"Well, I trust that you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow _almost _escaped," remarked the commodore as he stood over the pirate. "Take him away."

As the soldiers chained and removed Jack from the premises, Hi-Jax turned to Will and they shook hands.

"Thanks."

"Thank you, too. Who are you?"

"My name is Hi-Jax."

"Will Turner."

"Mr Hi-Jax," called Commodore Norrington. Hi-Jax walked over to the Royal Navy fleet commander. Sighing over what might happen next.

"Yes, Commodore?"

"Once again, you have taken upon yourself to assist in life-and-death matters. Whilst I am not in the least bit ungrateful for your invaluable aid here today, I cannot help but be curious. Why did you choose to help when you didn't have to?"

"I'm only doing my civic duty, sir," assured Hi-Jax. "Nothing more."

The commodore eyed him suspiciously.

"I just wish to recap. You said you were from another port of origin, you said you like to travel all over the world…and you have a book called Ansem's Report which sounds _very _captivating. Who _are _you? _Really_?"

"I told you, my name is Hi-Jax. I'm not here to cause any trouble. I've only come to Port Royal for a _holiday_!"

"You wouldn't say your name is…Adam?" asked an intrigued Governor Swann, as he came forward. "Son of Mahanah?"

The teenager's eyes widened in shock. Before he could speak, the governor furthered, "I was sure I'd recognised you from somewhere, boy. I couldn't place it at first, you've obviously changed so much. But I was a close friend of your father, and like him an ally of the Council of Light. I know of his children, _and _of Ansem, his one-time allegiance to the Council and his expulsion before his heart fell to darkness along with his world. _Secret_ matters, obviously, given the world order that bounds us all. And the priority law that has been decreed is that one must _not _meddle in the affairs of _other worlds_."

Hi-Jax began to feel such dread and anxiety as the governor looked down on him menacingly.

"I am _most _disappointed that Mahanah's eldest son has defied the law."

"Governor Swann, my father is _dead_," explained the teenager quietly, realising the importance of keeping this matter strictly within this elite circle of people. "I've been appointed with a _mission _that…"

"I am sorry to hear that," remarked Swann, seriously. "As it makes this situation even more unfortunate. The crime of trespassing and meddling in other worlds is punishable by death. But given your background, the fact that you saved my daughter and aided in Sparrow's capture, I will instead commute your sentence to life imprisonment. This of course will be lifted if proper authorities come to vouch for you. That will be all, Commodore."

"Place this man under arrest and take him to the dungeons along with Sparrow," ordered Norrington.

"Sir, this man saved the lives of Miss Swann and myself!" protested Will. "And he helped capture a notorious pirate! Is this how Port Royal repays the services of those who help us?"

"With respect, Mr Turner, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor, nor a governor. You are a blacksmith. You have no knowledge of world law and this is not the time to be lulled into false security by rule breakers. Today's experience with Sparrow has safely proven the folly of doing so."

Will's eyes narrowed at Norrington in total dislike for the decision that had been made.

"It's alright, Will," Hi-Jax assured the blacksmith, not believing in fighting his way out. He knew that would only worsen the situation.

Will looked at Hi-Jax in sadness as the soldiers took him away in chains. Hi-Jax looked back, nodded respectfully and said, "Thank you, anyway."

"No, sir," he said back. "Thank _you._"

* * *

Later that night.

The dungeons were cold, damp and rat-infested. Bones of dead prisoners were littered over the cell floors…

And Hi-Jax was stuck in a cell with Captain Jack Sparrow.

_Powerless, charged for helping, imprisoned to rot, no means of getting any help…and I'm stuck in here with the worst pirate who ever lived, _sighed the eighteen-year-old. _Yep, no doubt…now officially the worst holiday in my entire life._

Hi-Jax felt like moaning some more when he noticed all the prisoners in the cell next to his, all sticking their arms out, some holding bones, gesturing the dog with the keys in its mouth to come to them.

"Come here, boy. Come here."

"Who wants a nice juicy bone?"

"Come here, you good boy!"

"Who's a clever doggy!"

"It never ceases to amaze me," remarked Hi-Jax out loud, "how blind desperation can easily cloud common sense and overpower the mind's grasp of logicality."

The other prisoners stopped whistling and stared at the teenager, totally bewildered.

"You what?"

"He's saying you can keep doing that forever!" explained Jack. "The dog is _never _going to move. And the lad's _right_."

"_Exactly_!" nodded the teenager.

"Oh, _excuse _us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet!" retorted one of the prisoners angrily, before turning back to continue pursuing their feeble hope.

Sparrow just sniggered to himself. Hi-Jax just sighed and rested his head against the wall.

"Dunno what you're moaning about, lad," remarked Jack. "At least you still have your whole life ahead of you. In this _remarkable _little abode. Safe as cells. Befriended by rats and…actually, come to think of it, pretty much a fate worse than death. But hey…least you're alive."

Hi-Jax looked to his cellmate.

"Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"No. I am trying to make you feel _worse_, using the reverse psychological technique of making you feel worse so you can reverse psychologise yourself to make yourself feel better. Savvy?"

"SPARROW…" smiled Hi-Jax, brightly. "I _wouldn't_."

"You know, you're _very _bitter for one so young. Why is that?"

"Try living the life I have."

"All pirates lead very difficult lives, mate," explained Jack. "We wander and raise hell everywhere we go. We cause suffering to suffering ourselves…"

Hi-Jax just burst out laughing and looked at Sparrow.

"I am _not _a pirate," corrected the anomaly.

"You wander and stick your nose in. You're free as a bird, figuratively speaking, break the law everywhere you go and answer to no one. In what way is that not the life of a pirate?"

"You don't even know me," was all the teenager said. "So don't even try."

"I know you're _very _bipolar," observed Jack. "Moody, flippant and distant one minute, all compassionate and heroic the next. Both easy and outgoing, as well as complicated and secretive. Full of contradictions. Reminds me of someone I like. Someone I cherish and someone who I think is the greatest of them all. Now who could that be?"

The anomaly looked curiously into Sparrow's eyes as they gazed intently back at him.

"Oh, that's right. _Me_."

Hi-Jax's eyes widened and jaw dropped.

"We are _not _the same," argued the exile. "First, I am _not _g…"

"Neither am I!" protested Jack.

"Well, you sure…!"

"Am not!"

"Second, I don't threaten people!"

"You threatened me at the blacksmiths'!"

"No! I…!"

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I…!"

"Did!"

"Thirdly, I don't harm the innocent!"

"No one's innocent, you wally!"

"If that were even _remotely _true, could guilt exist?"

Jack tried to argue back but failed to find the words instantly.

"How can one be guilty if no one is innocent?" asked Hi-Jax, recognising his turn to go all smug and superior.

"You _are _a pirate 'cos you smell funny!" declared Jack, refusing to lose the debate.

"That dog with the keys washes more than you, you filthy…!"

Their childish bickering was brought to a halt by the sound of cannons going off. They stopped to listen to the roar of soldiers as they rushed to return fire.

"Port Royal's under attack…" realised Hi-Jax.

"I know those guns…" realised Jack. Both pirate and outworlder stood on top of their bunks to look through the bars of the cell window. It was a massive black ship with black sails, unleashing massive firepower on the fort battlements and the town itself. Longboats filled with vicious, cutthroat pirates were leaving their ship and heading for land.

"It's the Pearl," recognised Sparrow.

"The Black Pearl?" said one of the other prisoners as they all pressed fearfully against the bars looking at the window. "I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years. Never leaves any survivors."

"No survivors?" smiled Jack, looking to the other prisoner. "Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?"

That made the others think.

Hi-Jax thought as well. Back to his schooling. The study of this extraordinary man, Jack Sparrow.

"The Black Pearl…" he looked to his cellmate. "Wait a moment…isn't that _your_…?"

"Now how could you _possibly_…" interrupted Sparrow, in a fierce whisper, "_imagine _something like that?"

"I've read about you," explained Hi-Jax.

"I have a fan, I'm flattered. What's it like to _you_, I wonder…meeting someone who knows of _your _work and reputation?"

The teenager's eyes narrowed in confusion, wondering what the pirate could mean by that.

"I wouldn't really know…"

"Are you sure…daddy's boy?"

Shocked, Hi-Jax grabbed Sparrow by his shirt and got in his face.

"What do you mean by that?!" he demanded. "How…what…?!"

"Uh…might wanna watch out, mate!" Jack nodded to the direction of the window. Hi-Jax turned and his eyes widened to see a cannonball aimed right for the cells. They looked back at one another and both simultaneously ducked for cover. The wall in the cell next to them exploded, creating a massive hole which the other prisoners used to escape. The explosion frightened the dog with the keys and it ran away.

Hi-Jax and Jack could only look at each other and the prisoners in disbelief.

"My sympathies, friends," consoled one of the prisoners before making his escape. "You've no manner of luck at all."

"You think we don't _know _that?!" whined Hi-Jax and Sparrow simultaneously.

Everything then fell deathly silent.

The two lone cellmates couldn't be bothered to argue with or question one another anymore, so they just lay down on the floor, hands behind their heads, looking aimlessly up at the ceiling, the sound of distant screams, gunshots and explosions filling the night air.

Several minutes later, though…came something else.

Something Hi-Jax knew all too well.

And hadn't heard in a _long _time.

Running steps travelled across the Rampart, which the soldiers had now abandoned to retreat to the town in order to protect its citizens.

"Something's up!" said Sora as the three friends ran up to the edge of the battlements.

"Organization XIII?" suggested Goofy.

"Or the Heartless!" pointed out Donald.

The Keybearer looked out to the town, focusing on the screams and chaos. Their help was desperately needed.

"Only one way to find out," decided Sora as he nodded to his friends. And together, they sprinted to the rescue.

"Sora…Donald…Goofy," Hi-Jax said to himself. "They're here…my god…they're here…"

He wanted to celebrate. At last, he'd found his friends. They'd finally be together again, they could fight the Heartless and Nobodies and no longer be alone anymore. They'd achieve their goals much faster and be able to finish off Sharak and Organization XIII in no time at all! They'd…

"_What do you want from me, DiZ?"_

"_I want you to fulfil your new role. To do what you need to do for yourself. I want you to choose."_

"_Choose what?"_

"_The kind of person you are. Only then can you proceed with the task ahead of you."_

"_To make sure that neither Sharak…nor ME…interferes and disrupts the imbalance."_

That conversation resurfaced back in Hi-Jax's mind. He couldn't meet Sora and the others yet. It was far too soon, far too dangerous! It would cause another Imbalance of Reality and destroy everything!

Hi-Jax was once again torn between his personal feelings and his unseen duty to the world.

And now he would be put to the ultimate test.

"You! Sparrow!" called Will as he entered the dungeon and ran up to their cell.

"Ay?"

"I need your help. You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?"

Hi-Jax stood to his feet ready to assist, Jack just remained as he was, lying down on the floor.

"I've heard of it," he answered nonchalantly.

"Its crew is ravaging Port Royal! They were screaming they were going to take Miss Swann and…!"

"Oh, so you _did _find a girl!" exclaimed Sparrow, sitting up with interest. "And you need help saving your bonny lass! Very…"

"Ignore him, Will," said Hi-Jax. "You can count on _me_."

"Thank you, Hi-Jax, but I _really _need Sparrow's help as well for this. It's _imperative_!"

"My heart _bleeds_, sir," confessed Jack. "But I'm not as charitable as dear Mr. Hi-Jax here…so why ask _me?"_

"The Navy's being slaughtered by the pirates! They'd never listen to me anyway! And because _you're _a pirate…!"

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

"Never!" seethed Will.

"In denial," remarked Sparrow. "I wonder who _that _reminds me of?"

Hi-Jax chose to ignore the pirate. Will thought about it for a moment before trying one last resort.

"They also said they were after a medallion," he explained. "I engaged one of them, he threatened me, screaming for pirate's gold."

Jack and Hi-Jax instantly looked to one another. The Black Pearl's crew were after Elizabeth's medallion. And Hi-Jax recalled how entranced Jack had been by it.

"That means something to you, doesn't it?" nodded the teenage exile, slyly.

"Maybe," shrugged the pirate, dismissively.

"Will you help me, then?"

"You know I will," nodded Hi-Jax.

"And how can you?" asked Jack, unimpressed. "When you're stuck in here with me?"

"Isn't it obvious? _He's_ on the other side of this cell, coming to us for help. Do you honestly think he would've done if he didn't know how to get us out of here?"

"And how can he when the key's run off?"

"I helped build these cells. These are half-pin barrel hinges," explained Will as he picked up the nearest bench and repositioned it so it hooked in-between the bars of the cell door. "With the right leverage and the proper application of strength…the door will lift free."

"See?" smiled Hi-Jax.

Jack raised an intrigued eyebrow, first at Will, then at the anomaly.

"Your desire to help is obviously honest and true, mate," observed the pirate. "But there's so much more to that than you let on. Maybe those friends of yours know why, eh?"

_He overheard…damn, _realised the eighteen-year-old. He soon saw no point in denying anything, now. Sparrow was far too clever.

"Perhaps. And yes, I know them. And yes, I'd like to see them."

"What's your _original _name, Mr Hi-Jax?"

The anomaly paused for a second. He didn't trust Sparrow as far as he could throw him, but he was in deep trouble enough as it was. It wouldn't make any real difference now.

"Adam," he conceded reluctantly. "My birth name was Adam."

"First child of the lord," remarked Jack. "Good, strong name. And rather holy as well, I might add. Rather appropriately chosen by your father, ay?"

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in confusion. Just what did Sparrow know about him?

"…Yes."

"Uh-huh. Well then, young Adam…sorry, I mean HI-JAX. And young sir," Jack declared as he stood up to face both the anomaly and Will, "I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear that on pain of death…I shall help you save your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"

Will stared for a moment at the hand through the bars.

And then shook it willingly.

"Agreed," he smiled.

"Agreed," repeated Jack. "Mr Hi-Jax?"

"Fine," nodded the exile, shaking the pirate's hand. "In this together. Through to the end."

After Hi-Jax and Will shook hands as well, Jack told Will to get them out. In no time at all, the blacksmith was able to lift the cell door away. It fell to the floor with a raucous clang. Thankfully, because of the chaos outside, no one was able to hear it.

"Hurry!" said Will. "We must find her!"

"Right behind you, lad!"

Will ran off and Jack followed. Then he quickly halted, turned round to Hi-Jax and asked, "Wait for me by the fort entrance with my effects."

"You're joking, aren't you?" replied the anomaly. "I'm not leaving the party before it starts."

"Learn to trust me, lad. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

And before he or Hi-Jax could say anything, Jack Sparrow had turned back to the exit and ran to catch up with Will.

As Hi-Jax gathered his partner-in-crime's belongings and headed to the rendezvous point, more and more conflicting thoughts invaded his mind.

Thoughts of people dying, people needing rescue and a new menace ruining the peace and beauty of Port Royal.

Thoughts of this most dubious, yet now-mandatory alliance with Captain Jack Sparrow. A man who he had studied in school, knew so much about him…and in turn, may knew so much about Hi-Jax himself.

Thoughts of the loss of his powers, how he would cope without them. And whether or not he would be able to reclaim them.

And finally, thoughts of Sora, Donald and Goofy, his lost friends that he had wanted to see again for so long. His path had now intertwined with their own. It was another test of his duty taking precedence over his personal feelings. And DiZ's warnings over ignoring his role to maintain the natural continuity of the story, for the sake of preventing irreversible disaster…once more haunted him.

All thoughts befitting for this most chaotic night in the Caribbean.

Dark, relentless thoughts…that refused to leave Hi-Jax alone.


	16. Chapter 16: Sing Little Songs

**_Author's note: Hey there! Here's the next chapter, o patient, loyal readers! Enjoy!_**

**_D.C. Wood (25/08/08)_**

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 16: Sing Little Songs**

Will had run off after Elizabeth after seeing the pirate abduct her. Sparrow had taken the opportune moment to scarper back to the Interceptor. Will, now deeply concerned for Elizabeth's wellbeing, had forgotten about Sparrow and rushed to his love's rescue. The Heartless cut him off, though, and it was that moment when Sora, Donald and Goofy came to his rescue, shortly after they had encountered their nemesis Pete and his newest allies, Captain Barbossa and the undead crew of the Black Pearl.

Having dealt with the Heartless and temporarily managing to fight off the pirates, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Will had now introduced themselves to each other. Then they raced to the docks to see that the Black Pearl was now getting tinier and tinier in the distance.

"We're too late!" despaired Will.

"Huh?"

"Those pirates kidnapped Miss Swann and took her to their ship. Now they've sailed, and I'll never be able to find her!"

"Then she's long gone!" called out Sparrow from the Interceptor's deck, already making himself feel right at home…_again_. "The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate."

Will and the others turned and walked to Sparrow.

"You…what are you doing aboard the Interceptor?" demanded the blacksmith. "She's off-limits to civilians!"

Sora seemed greatly interested by this turn of events.

"Ah, fortunate I'm going to commandeer her, then," Jack remarked. "She'll make a fine pirate ship."

"A pirate!" Sora burst out excitedly. It instantly took him back to the golden days of his youth on the Destiny Islands, where he, Riku and Kairi would play pirate games and tell each other all kinds of pirate stories. For him, this was yet another dream come to life.

And right before the four of them, the living legend stood tall.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please."

"Take me with you," pleaded Will again. "Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann. I got you out of that jail cell, Sparrow. Do this and your debt's repaid."

"You'll have to win fair lady's heart _alone_, mate," the pirate decided, reneging on his promise just because he could and seeing no logic otherwise. "I see no profit in it for me."

"C'mon, Captain!" urged Sora in protest.

"Are you sure you can sail her?" asked Will, eyebrow raised. "All on your _own_?"

Sparrow contemplated Will's question and recounted his own motives, their accord and the Hi-Jax factor.

"You've a point there," he conceded.

Will smiled and sighed in gratitude. Sora secretly clenched his fist and whispered 'Yes!' to himself in excitement. This was gonna be good.

Will, Sora, Donald and Goofy boarded the Interceptor just as Jack began descending the ramp.

"Thanks, Sparrow," the blacksmith nodded. The pirate groaned and rolled his eyes upward.

"CAPTAIN Sparrow," he emphasised in exasperation.

"I'm Sora," the Keybearer introduced. "This is Donald and Goofy."

"I'm Will Turner."

A grin of enlightenment suddenly flashed across Jack's face.

"That would be short for _William_, I imagine," remarked the pirate. "No doubt named for your father, eh?"

"Yes…" replied Will, confused over why Sparrow had said that.

"Well then, Mr Turner. You get us ready to make way," Jack ordered as he continued down the ramp, feeling it best to rendezvous with Hi-Jax. "I've some effects to liberate."

"Aye-aye! But _hurry_."

"Naturally," he waved back.

"Sora!" said Donald as the three friends decided to follow the 'captain'.

"You really wanna be a pirate?" asked Goofy.

"Of course not!"

Donald eyed the Keybearer suspiciously. After a few metres away from the Interceptor, Jack turned to Sora, feeling he was the best one to ask his opinion.

"What do you make of this Will?"

"I don't know," was the Keybearer's answer. "We just met him."

Another enlightened grin spread across Jack's face and his eyes narrowed in keen interest.

"Hmm…" he pondered to himself. "I think my luck's about to _change_."

Turning back to Sora, Donald and Goofy, Sparrow declared, "Right, lads. As members of my crew, I now officially appoint you me new cabin boys. And your first task as the most important members of the ship, is to aid Mr Turner and get us ready to make way while I liberate my effects. Chop-chop!"

Jack turned to rendezvous with Hi-Jax. Donald and Goofy secretly laughed while Sora protested his disappointment.

"_Cabin…boys_?"

* * *

As soldiers ran back and forth to try and put out fires, tend to their wounded, fend off the remaining Heartless and begin healing from the battle, Jack (as quickly and as discreetly as he could) tiptoed to the fort entrance.

"I just met you friends, mate," said Sparrow. "Very odd-looking, very barmy. I like 'em."

Hi-Jax emerged from the shadows with the pirate's belongings.

"It's very hard _not_ to," said the teenage exile, smiling warmly in reflection. His smile then dropped as he looked back to Sparrow and handed him his possessions one-by-one.

"Ah…my trusty compass," the pirate smiled in admiration, "lucky pistol, faithful sword, magnificent coat…and my very nice hat."

Fully kitted-out, Sparrow looked at Hi-Jax with his arms folded.

"Shall we then?" he bowed, gesturing his hand in a spiralling direction. The powerless anomaly sighed and the two began their walk to the Interceptor.

"Looking forward to reuniting with your old shipmates, I take it?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. Which is why…_Captain_, I must respectfully ask to just 'stowaway'. Or be your 'unseen' first mate. Or…whatever. I'll help but Sora and the others _mustn't _know that I'm here. Not yet."

Sparrow stopped and raised his eyebrow at the eighteen-year-old. Hi-Jax turned to the pirate and sighed, "It's _complicated_."

"Ah!" pointed Jack. "Need for secrecy…wronged them, did you? Nick their lunch money? Run off with their lasses? Killed someone dear to them?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE ANY OF THAT!" spat Hi-Jax angrily. It made Jack jump back in fright and cower in somewhat exaggerated fashion. Calming down, the anomaly sighed painfully, "It's _nothing _like any of that. I've got a job to do, it's complicated, and that's all you need to know. Will you help me, please?"

Sparrow looked from side-to-side nervously, before standing up straight, reasserting himself and declaring rather hurriedly, "Alright then, you help me get my ship back and I'll keep you under my hat. Figuratively, of course. Shall we shake on it? Yes. Good. Let's move on."

After the forced handshake, the two reluctant allies ventured on.

"So I was right, then? The Black Pearl _was _yours once upon a time?"

"The whole ship and its crew to be precise, Mr Hi-Jax. But on an expedition to the Isla de Muerta, my first mate Barbossa led a mutiny against me, took my crew and my ship. Left me to die on a desert island, and took all the Aztec Treasure for himself."

"So what happened next?"

"I got off the island, wanderin' around for ten years, while Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants…wandered around _cursed _for ten years."

Interested, Hi-Jax looked to Sparrow.

"What exactly is this curse?"

"Apparently, this Aztec Treasure was meant to stop Cortez from slaughtering folk with his armies. Only he wouldn't, which is why the Heathen Gods lobbed a curse on the gold. Any mortal that removes a piece from the chest on the island…is condemned to spend eternity suffering as the living dead."

"Elizabeth's medallion…" nodded the teenager in remembrance. "She had one of the pieces of the treasure."

"One of eight-hundred and eighty two, to be precise. No idea how she got it, but that's what Barbossa's after. Only by returning each and every single piece to the stone chest on the Isla de Muerta, and the blood of every thief repaid."

"What's that mean? And how on earth did Elizabeth managed to come across a piece of that treasure."

"Doesn't matter, lad," shrugged Jack. "Because dear Miss Swann, despite having the last piece, isn't the one whose blood Barbossa needs to lift the curse."

"Who, then?"

"That I'll keep to myself, mate," smiled the pirate slyly, now knowing that it was Will's blood Barbossa really needed, and that Hi-Jax didn't quite trust him. "As you know, I'm sure…some secrets are best left untold. For the sake of secrets, and that they give you the edge over your enemies. Savvy?"

The anomaly's eyes narrowed at the pirate. He had no real reason to trust him. After all, if it hadn't been for him, Hi-Jax wouldn't be in this mess. And he was definitely planning to take the Black Pearl back at the expense of not just this Barbossa, but most likely Will and Elizabeth as well. And there was no real guarantee that the pirate would keep his presence a secret from Sora.

And yet…maybe Hi-Jax was wrong to not trust Jack Sparrow. After all, the pirate had saved Elizabeth's life. And compared to these other pirates that had ravaged Port Royal, Sparrow seemed far less bloodthirsty and irrational. Hi-Jax knew that he needed his help to find out more about this curse. It was obviously what had been responsible for the loss of his powers, and maybe by helping Sparrow lift the curse, Hi-Jax's powers would come back.

And as the teenager had told Norrington…it was his civic duty to help.

"Chaos…utter chaos…" remarked Hi-Jax, shaking his head over the aftermath of the devastation.

"For a pirate, chaos means freedom, mate," Sparrow pointed out. "Freedom to pilfer, plunder and pillage and answer to no-one…just 'cause you _can_."

"You make it so _romantic_…" the anomaly replied, absolutely disgusted. "When all of _this_…_isn't_. It never is."

"Dunno what you're complaining about. Are you any different? Really?"

Hi-Jax just looked at Sparrow, not taking his eyes off him. The pirate obviously knew a lot about the anomaly, and it was time to find out exactly what.

"Depends on the people who know me," Hi-Jax answered as they continued walking. "My father would tell you differently. If he was here. You'd probably argue with him. Well…maybe not, I mean…_I _don't know. But I think _you _do. Don't you?"

Jack didn't reply.

"My father's name was Mahanah. Does that mean anything to you?"

Jack _still _didn't reply.

"When we were in that cell, you implied you knew about my reputation. You called me 'daddy's boy' and it was only after you learnt my…_old _name that you agreed to help me and Will. Because that's what I wanted and it got us out of jail, and I didn't wanna waste time, I let all that lie. But now…I think it's time we had a serious heart-to-heart."

"I thought we'd already _had _one?" the rogue sailor remarked, rather confused. Hi-Jax stopped and put his hand on the pirate's shoulder, making him halt.

"You're not an idiot, Jack," the teenage exile said, "and neither am I. You know who I am…and you knew my father."

Hi-Jax removed his hand and Jack sighed. He thought about it and thought about it before deciding, _What the hell!_

Turning round to face the teenager, the pirate began with, "You _are _famous, Hi-Jax. I'm surprised you'd forgotten. Your reputation reaches many of the darkest corners of the world, after all. When all's gone belly up for the working classes, they scarper to good ol' Ruination City. Some of them leave scared, and tell stories of its _unwanted champion_."

"Ah…of course," nodded the anomaly, modestly.

"But one of them wasn't quite so scared. In fact, he was quite the opposite. And a good mate of mine. Remember a chap that goes by the name of Mister Gibbs?"

"Oh, yeah…he was being mugged by some lowly thugs and I helped him out, several months back. Actually thanked me and bought me a drink. I remember Gibbs, told me he was once a Navy man that retired to become a merchant sailor, later a pirate. One of the _very _few people I met in Ruination City who I actually liked. He's a good man."

"He liked you, too. Told me all about you. But I'd never thought I'd actually meet you in person. I mean, I wouldn't be found dead in Ruination City. I'd never go, because if I _did_, then I _would _be dead. I owe a lot of people there _money_."

"So, what of my _father_?" Hi-Jax asked. "How do you know of him?"

"Ever heard of the East India Trading Company?" Jack asked back as they resumed walking.

"Studied them in school."

"Ever heard of their _leader_? Lord Cutler Beckett?"

"I remember my dad talking about him. Didn't really like him. Thought him far too ambitious. Too much darkness breeding in his heart."

"An arsehole, in other words?"

Surprised, Hi-Jax looked to Jack and tried not to laugh as he replied, "You could say that. So, anyway…?"

"Beckett was the man who branded me," Jack explained, showing him his 'P' mark. "Wanted to hang me then and there, then some posh, stuck-up looking chap…"

"WATCH - IT," warned Hi-Jax fiercely.

"Yes, his name _was _Mahanah, as I recall…actually convinced Beckett to spare my life."

The revelation truly rocked the teenage exile.

"Really?!"

"Believed in freedom for '_good' _pirates. I overheard his arguing with Beckett. Said he was allied to some bloody Council, a bunch of boringly, philosophical buggers from the sound of things, but much more likeable, respectable, nicer and smarter than Beckett and his Trading Company lasses in my opinion. Also saw him chin-wagging with his missus, thinking of names for their new child. 'Adam' seemed to be their favourite."

Hi-Jax was now at a total loss for words. Struggling greatly to find some, he responded with, "So…how did you put two and two together and come up with _five_?"

"You've got your dad's eye, mate," explained Jack. "Along with his ideals, morals, boy scout nature, a bit of his heart…and his _smell_. No matter what you call yourself, or how much you change…_still _like father, like son. A pirate lover fathering a true pirate-in-the-making. He'd be proud of you, Daddy's boy."

Enraged by that remark, Hi-Jax drew his sword and pointed it at Sparrow.

"Get a few things _straight_, Captain Camp," sneered the teenager venomously. "My father was _never, ever _soft on scum, or soft in general. And equally important…STOP THINKING I'M A PIRATE! I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU! _NOTHING_!"

Sparrow just sighed with his back turned to the anomaly.

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting worked up and beat again."

"Uh…you _didn't _beat me. You didn't have the _guts _to finish me off. If roles were reversed, I would have killed you in an _instant_."

"Are you _really _sure about that one, lad?" asked Sparrow, turning to face him with a cynical eyebrow raised. Hi-Jax then realised too late that as Jack had turned round, he had struck the wooden crane with his sword, cutting a rope with the counterweight and making it swing round. The pirate ducked and the teenager got the wind knocked out of him, courtesy of the big cargo net holding several heavy barrels. The impact made Hi-Jax drop his sword, and he struggled to keep his grip on the crane's load, as he dangled over the stone pier.

With a watery grave below. Sparrow now had his sword in hand. The next strike would cut open the net and send the heavy load spilling into the sea, the weight undoubtedly knocking Hi-Jax out cold and pinning him to the sea bed. And without his powers, he'd drown for sure.

"I don't give you enough credit, do I?" remarked Hi-Jax, begrudgingly. "You're far cleverer than you _look_."

"Yes, well…" shrugged Jack, modestly, "better than being cleverer than you _smell_."

The pirate then casually rested his blade against the net.

"Now as long as you're just hanging there, big mouth…shut up and pay attention. You can argue with me until the day you die, but at day's end, the facts are the facts. And the most important facts are these. Your father was a bleeding heart, but a _good _kind of bleeding heart. Merits respect and admiration, as well as _dis_respect and loathing. You are the same, with a little more harder edge to you. Your actions speak louder than your words ever could and can. You're full of contradictions, just like me. You save lives and you threaten lives, often at the same time. And that all rings true…of what a man _can _do, and what a _man_ can't do."

Hi-Jax looked to Sparrow, then looked down, pondering thoughtfully over the truth of his words.

"For instance," Jack continued, "_you _can accept that your dad was a softie, _and _a good man…or you can't. You can also accept that we're the same…or you can't. Pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. _Me _for example, I can go back on my word and leave you and Will to sort your own messes out. But I can't, 'cos that'd then mean you wouldn't help me sort _my _messes out. And also…I _can _actually let you drown. But I _can't _beat Barbossa and his crew all by my onesies. I need _all _the help I can _get_. Knocking you off would be so _wasteful_. Savvy?"

Sparrow then moved his sword away and struck again, cutting a different rope that made the crane swing back round to over safe ground. It made Hi-Jax land hard on the stone harbour, where he looked painfully up to see the pirate pointing his sword at him.

"So…can you sail under the command of a pirate…"

Jack then flipped his sword in his hand, before handing it hilt-first to Hi-Jax.

"…or can you not?"

Finding some new respect for the captain, Hi-Jax accepted the weapon, sheathed it, got to his feet and smiled.

"Oh, you'd be surprised what I _can _do…m'heartie."

"Aaarrr," Jack grinned back.

* * *

Much later, Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy were all aboard the Interceptor heading for the Isla De Muerta. As Jack was explaining the purpose of their voyage and they all conversed to know each other better, Hi-Jax remained hidden in the hold, thinking over everything that had happened to him so far on his 'working holiday'. The loss of his powers, Governor Swann knowing who he was, his imprisonment, now on-the-run as a fugitive, this turn-of-events with Jack and Sora…

Once again, Hi-Jax was lost in deep thought. What was he going to do? Help Sparrow, Will and Sora, obviously. Get his powers back, obviously. And maintain the natural order of events, obviously.

But the important question was 'how'?

With his powers, remaining invisible and helping to save the day within the rules would be simplicity itself. But without them…what exactly could he do?

_No…_Hi-Jax told himself, _you're NOT helpless. You've still got your resourcefulness, your fighting skills, THOSE will suffice. They HAVE to. Act on instinct and use tactics and judgement, like you always have. Captain Jack told you the best thing to do was remain in the hold away from the others…while he bargains with Barbossa to remove this curse, get the Black Pearl back and get a happy ending._

_HOW, though? These pirates don't sound like the kind that are willing to listen to reason. And what exactly has Jack got to bargain WITH? And then Jack said that the Heartless have arrived…Maleficent's Heartless, I'd reckon…I wondered when she'd show up again. Things are getting out of hand, real fast. And I'm still not really sure whether I trust Sparrow or not. He doesn't seem evil or as blatantly non-trustworthy as Xanatos…so, can I sail under the command of a pirate, or can I NOT?_

Hi-Jax sighed deeply in angst.

_Complications…endless complications everywhere I go. Simple life…how I'm starting to yearn for that again…just like Helen and Violet…the kind of life I used to have…before Sharak. Even before the Council of Light, the World of Heaven was destroyed…back with Jaron and Lisa…it all seemed so blissfully simple._

* * *

_Two years after Jaron and Adam had been found and recruited by the Council of Light to be their elite soldiers and peacekeepers. They had trained for a year, and after a year of field experience, they were now past the rookie stage and officially veterans. But despite this, they still had much to learn, much more to experience._

_As Jaron and Adam sat down together, resting and dining after completing their recent, separate field missions, both were tired and grateful for nourishment and a chance to recuperate. And Adam also noticed a sad, pained look on his brother's face._

"_Still missing Mum and Dad, huh?"_

_Jaron nodded._

"_Me, too," agreed Adam. "Me, too."_

"_Seven years ago, today," reminded Jaron, "since Sharak…"_

"_I know…I know…"_

_The two brothers then stopped eating, raised their glasses and then toasted to their lost loved ones and home world. Then decided to hold their annual vow of silence. As they did, both silently wept and thought over how much their lives had changed. They were on their own, fighting Heartless and saving worlds, meeting so many important people, studying so much about various worlds and their people…about Sharak, the Keyblade, the Keyholes, Kingdom Hearts, everything their was to know about the world…_

_All great things they were doing and learning._

_And their family and friends weren't here to see it._

_When the silence was over, Jaron asked, "Do you think they'd be proud, Adam?"_

"_Your guess is as good as mine, Jaron," Adam replied in contemplation._

_And then they both fell silent again._

"'_We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs…'"_

_Adam and Jaron turned to hear the singing. It was chirpy and heart-warming and made both brothers smile._

"'_Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho. Yo-ho, yo-ho…a pirate's life for me.'"_

_Lisa entered the room smiling and giving both brothers a 'welcome home' hug._

"_Still singing those kids' songs, huh?" smiled Adam._

"_Well we ARE kids, aren't we?" Lisa asked innocently._

"_Are we?" wondered Jaron, thoughtfully. "OUR childhood ended the day the Heartless came into our lives."_

"_We're still young," smiled Lisa warmly, placing her hand on Jaron's shoulder. "We still have our hearts, and we're still living out great lives. Even though we're all scarred, it doesn't mean we can't be entitled to happiness."_

_Jaron's scarred face looked deep into Lisa's eyes. When they'd first met, she truthfully had not been repulsed by his appearance, and had helped Jaron not to be ashamed._

_And once again, he smiled and felt thankful for everything the Council had done for him and Adam._

"_Yes…" Jaron nodded to Lisa._

_Sitting down to join them, Lisa grinned, "Fancy a story?"_

"_Not another pirate one…" smiled Adam, muttering in a joking fashion._

"_They're my favourites! Besides, it's been three nights since I told one! And you've enjoyed them in the past!"_

"_Very well, then," conceded Jaron. He always appreciated Lisa's stories, and Adam did, too. Both brothers paid attention and allowed Lisa to begin._

"_Okay…this one begins with a guy called Captain Flint…"_

* * *

The happiness that Jaron, Adam and Lisa all shared couldn't last.

Eighteen months after the defeat of Ansem (Xehanort's Heartless), Sharak had established a terrifying new empire. The Heartless attacked the World of Heaven, obliterating the Council of Light. Jaron and Adam had been ordered to flee to find the Keybearer and the King's followers to mount a counter-offensive against the Source of All Darkness.

Sharak held Lisa hostage, planning to kill her to torture them. Their rescue of Lisa was short-lived. Sharak erased Adam's memory and exiled him to the Destiny Islands. Then he threw Lisa right into the path of Jaron's deathstrike before leaving the Saviour in the ruins of his world, his life itself.

That paved the way for the New Era of Darkness.

Adam would later reclaim his memories, learn of Lisa's fate, see Jaron die, and help fight against Sharak. Then came peace and the Imbalance of Reality, the 'death' of Adam and the rise of Hi-Jax.

_Lisa_…despaired Hi-Jax wiping a small tear away from his eye. _I never stopped missing you, y'know. I never ever forgot…you were far too good. Maybe that's why the devil himself decided to use you against…_

The anomaly then thought about something.

_Wait…Lisa…Sharak used her…is he still using her to torture me? NO. No, it can't be p…! Yes, it can be possible. I just don't want it to be…PLEASE, Lisa, tell me it's not…_

The Interceptor then stopped. They'd lowered their anchor and Hi-Jax noticed, which made him start thinking about the current situation. Curious, he came out of his hiding place and walked up the steps and opened the hold's door to get an eye of what was going on on-deck. They'd docked right at the Rock Face at the Isla de Muerta.

"You lads wait here," ordered Jack to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Young Turner and I will rescue the lady."

"Hey!" protested Sora. "What about us?"

"You're to guard the ship, o' course. It's a task given only to the bravest pirates."

"All right…" agreed the Keybearer.

"Guard her well!" ordered Jack, before turning to Will and asking, "Shall we?"

Both Jack and Will ran off ship onto land. Hi-Jax saw it and wondered what his next move should be. Then he saw Sora, Donald and Goofy and smiled. Temptation was high again. He wanted to go to his dear friends and embark in great, wonderful reunion. And there was his mission, DiZ's warnings, the danger of another Imbalance (this time completely irreversible) all painfully repeating themselves in Hi-Jax's conscience.

He'd been waiting months for this reunion, and at long last…here it was.

How long would it be before he would get another opportunity like this _again_?

Sora, Donald and Goofy just waited, standing where they were, not realising that Hi-Jax was there on the Interceptor, right with them.

The moment of hesitation was long…

Then ultimately…Hi-Jax decided…

…

…_No_. _It's too soon. Not yet. But one day, it'll be fine to do so. Third time's the charm. And the…_

Goofy could've sworn someone was watching them. Curious, he turned to the door leading to the Ship's Hold. Hi-Jax quickly and silently closed the door, praying Goofy hadn't seen him.

The Captain of Disney Castle's Royal Knights was puzzled. His eyes narrowed and he stroked his chin, pondering whether he'd seen what he'd thought he'd seen.

"Was that…?" he began.

"Goofy?" asked Sora.

"What's the matter?" asked Donald.

"There's someone in the hold, I'm sure of it. He just closed the door."

"We didn't see or hear anything," said the Keybearer.

"Aww…you probably just imagined it!" dismissed the Royal Court Magician.

Goofy looked back to the hold door, not quite so sure.

"Maybe…"

"'You're to guard the ship, o' course. It's a task given only to the bravest pirates'," muttered Sora in disappointment and boredom, thinking back to what Jack said. "I think he was just trying to fast-talk us…"

"And you fell for it," pointed out Donald.

"What's keeping those two?"

"They sure are taking their time…" agreed Goofy.

"If Pete's hanging around, there must be Heartless, too," realised Sora. "And Jack and Will aren't used to fighting Heartless…Let's go see."

* * *

Shortly after the trio of friends had entered the Cave Mouth, Hi-Jax heard the monstrous roar. Instantly leaving his hiding place, he ran out onto the ship's deck. Sora and the others were nowhere in sight.

It was just him…and a giant Heartless emerging from the sea. Its tentacles slithered up the side of the Interceptor, and its jaws opened wide to unleash another ferocious roar, as its eyes shone a horrible yellow.

The Heartless was obviously Emblem, based on the mythical Kraken. And it looked ready to dine on the Interceptor, and have the powerless Hi-Jax as a delicious morsel to start.

The teenage-exile, despite being powerless and outmatched…just sneered.

"I've had just about enough of this, mate…"

The Kraken Heartless wrapped one of its tentacles round Hi-Jax and drew him towards its widening mouth. Struggling to break free, Hi-Jax quickly remembered a pistol he'd borrowed from the hold. Taking it from his holster, he placed it on the creature's hide…and fired. The explosion caused the Heartless such pain, making it shriek and release the teenager from its grasp.

Using his human skills, he landed on his feet, drew his sword and dodge-rolled away from the tentacle that slammed down onto the ship's deck. He hacked and slashed away at the arm, quickly destroying it. The loss of the tentacle hurt and enraged the giant Heartless even more. It opened its mouth, revealing an intense purple light that looked like it was getting ready to explode.

The giant, dark fireball flew out, homing-in right on Hi-Jax. The teenage exile only just managed to avoid the devastating projectile, but as it exploded, it erupted into smaller fireballs that bounced around uncontrollably. Hi-Jax was burnt badly by them and ran to a recovery position. Nursing his badly burnt leg, the eighteen-year-old seethed as he tried to get his Elixir bottle out, now his only means of healing himself. The Kraken wouldn't let him, though, as it unleashed more giant fireballs from its mouth.

He continued to dodge-roll and jump out of harm's way as the fireballs came one-by-one. Hi-Jax took extra care to mind out for the smaller, wilder fireballs as they erupted. And the more he ran on his wounded leg, the more he realised that he _had _to heal himself immediately.

The Heartless stopped firing and the last of the small fireballs fizzled out. The creature then raised two of its flailing tentacles, getting ready to strike down wildly.

"Bad move, you mangy fish," smirked Hi-Jax, raising his pistol and aiming right for the Kraken's eye. He pulled the trigger and the shot hit the giant Heartless right in the eye. Blinded, the creature held one of its raised tentacles to nurse its injury, leaving the other one to flop gently on the ship's deck. The teenager immediately took advantage and targeted the limb. With swift vicious sword strikes, another tentacle soon dissipated into nothing.

Screaming in absolute rage, the Kraken Heartless shuddered violently over all the pain this human had caused it. It opened its mouth wide, getting reading to unleash its burning purple light once more.

"Down to Davy Jones' Locker you go…" smirked Hi-Jax, having now positioned himself behind a cannon directly in front for the creature. He opened fire, and the cannonball went right into the Heartless' critical mouth. The explosion instantly consumed the Kraken in fiery death. It burnt away into dark vapours, turning back into a giant heart that floated gently into the night air, before disappearing.

The battle over, Hi-Jax withdrew his pistol and sheathed his sword. Then he used the Elixir to fully heal himself. Smiling and folding his arms in pride over how he had successfully defended the Interceptor without his powers, and finding as though he'd actually managed to rekindle some fun from his 'holiday'.

"Dunno _what _I was getting so worked up about," the anomaly said to himself. "Being a pirate _can _be fun, defending a ship like only the bravest pirates can. Sparrow was right after all. We _are _the same…and I _did _enjoy Lisa's pirate stories."

"So you finally realise, Adam. After all…they _were _my favourites."

As Ilxsa teleported onto the deck, Hi-Jax turned to face her.

Overwhelmed with total, crippling shock.

"NO."

"You finally realise, my dear friend," the Darkest Exile said, her voice feigning pain. "Now it is time for our _real _reunion."

Hi-Jax's original fear resurfaced. He had prayed for it not to be true.

And now he had no choice but to accept that it was.

_Painfully_.

"'We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs…'"

_Lisa and an 'X'…_Hi-Jax realised. _NO._

"'Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho…'"

The Nobody then slowly began to pull down her hood as she sang 'sadly'.

"'Yo-ho, yo-ho…'"

"NO!" screamed Hi-Jax in despair.

It was another fresh, deep scar for the teenager, courtesy of Sharak.

"'…a pirate's life…'"

Ilxsa's face was now finally revealed. Naturally similar but different to how Hi-Jax once knew it.

"'…for me'."

"NOOOOOOOOO!!"

Ilxsa, the Darkest Exile…was the Nobody of Lisa.

* * *

**_Author's Note: What did you think, eh?! Please tell me. Next chapter will feature the wrap-up of this little arc. After that...wait and see. More shocks and surprises are a' comin'!_**

**_Keep reading!_**

**_D.C. Wood (25/08/08)_**


	17. Chapter 17: Here There Be Monsters!

**_Author's note: First of all...a thousand apologies, o patient ones. Seriously, I am SO sorry that I am late with this chapter. I've been suffering from great stress, severe writer's block and work committments. Which is why this chapter is 3 months overdue. Like so much of my writing, I really don't want to mess this story up, and I wanted to get it right and resolve this little arc with Hi-Jax and Captain Jack Sparrow the right way. I hope I have done and I hope you enjoy it._**

**_Again, I'm not giving up with this project. It's just work and other projects are stopping me from committing myself to this more than I am. For those who have been loyal readers and reviewers, thank you so much for your loyal support. And I hope you continue to enjoy my work. As always, please let me know what you liked and didn't like. I don't know when the next chapter's gonna be up, 'cos I have a lot going on right now. Rest assured, I'm not giving up until this thing is finished. I'm gonna persevere as have Sora and Riku with their journeys._**

**_Take care, chaps!_**

**_D.C. Wood (29/11/08)_**

**

* * *

**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 17: Here There Be Monsters!**

"It was Terron that I had to thank and curse for my…resurrection," Ilxsa began explaining to the horrified Hi-Jax. "I should've been ecstatic. I should have felt joy. Even though I saw time unravelling thanks to Sharak's meddling and destruction - along with Jaron and his father Mahanah in the afterlife - even though my heart could feel the pain and happiness of rebirth - to see you again, Adam - my empty shell and soul were the only things of me that returned. My heart was left behind in disappointment. Two things stopped me from being complete."

Alone, powerless, aboard the Interceptor, and in danger of disrupting the current timeline, Hi-Jax was struggling to keep a clear head. Ilxsa, Sharak's second-in-command…was the powerful Nobody of his deceased friend Lisa!

Sharak had turned one of his closest friends against him. Again.

And this time, she could easily kill him in a second.

Trying his hardest to stifle the rage and the tears, Hi-Jax remained still, silent and angry. Allowing Lisa to continue her story.

"The fact that Sharak had taken away my heart," the Darkest Exile furthered, "and Terron's lack of control over the retcon, made me a Nobody. I didn't realise, at first. I couldn't remember. And it turned out that I was _pretending_. That's why Organization XIII were after me. They sent Dusks to capture and recruit me. But Sharak got there first. I fled to Traverse Town. Doctor Drakken had hacked into DiZ's computer and supplied me with all that information to bring me up-to-date, as you've now undoubtedly realised. Then Sharak saved me from the Nobodies, and brought me back to Castle Oblivion."

"He saw it fitting to taunt and crush the Organization with their own castle and a powerful Nobody, able to wield the element of darkness. And he also proved his word again. Sharak is renowned for rewarding those who are undyingly loyal to him. He has helped me remember _everything _about my past life. _Everything_. And when he returns to power…I'll get my heart back."

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT!!!" yelled Hi-Jax, unable to contain himself any longer. "Sharak will _destroy _you as he'll destroy ALL Nobodies! And you _haven't _remembered everything! 'Cos you've clearly forgotten who _killed _you the first time! Sharak…!"

"SHARAK…_and _Jaron…killed me, Adam," Ilxsa pointed out unemotionally. "And that is ironic. You didn't lose your memories _this time _around. I did. So logic says that you shouldn't have any gaps in your memory, whereas I would be more likely to. And yet…I haven't forgotten anything. The Saviour and the Source of all Darkness…they're _both _to blame for Lisa's death. For making me what I am today. And you know it, Adam. You can never forget it."

The teenage exile struggled to bear the pain, to comprehend how this loveable, optimistic, heart-warming, easy and outgoing girl…had now evolved into this cold, emotionless shell, thinking only of logic and herself.

"Lisa…" Hi-Jax began painfully, "I _know_. But Jaron…he was trying to save you. We _both _were…I _still _can. You must…"

"I had nowhere else to go," Ilxsa replied simply. "And wherever I would go, whichever decision I would make…I would _still _be marked for death."

"I _wouldn't_," declared Hi-Jax boldly. "I would _never _kill you. If I'd have known in the first place, Lisa…I swear I would've done everything in my power to help you and keep you safe."

"_Would _you? _Really_? You _hate Nobodies. _All of them. For tearing you down, _piece-by-piece_, and putting you back together as what you are today. If you'd have known the truth, could you _honestly _say to me, here and now, that you _wouldn't _hunt me down, reasoning that I am _indeed_ the same Lisa that you loved and befriended all those years ago?"

A great shame fell over the anomaly. The hatred that he had for Nobodies was overwhelmingly real. He hated them all for what they were, what they did…and that this mere shell of Hi-Jax's old friend, the one who had supported him and helped him heal, was now the one who had coldly and logically tormented the Gargoyles and cruelly violated her own team-mate Coldstone. The one who was now serving Sharak, his mortal enemy, to bring him down and reconquer the world.

Hi-Jax probably would never have given Ilxsa a second thought. His heart had been submerged in darkness for far too long. He'd lost sight of who he had once been. And it was only interactions with all the new friends he had made that had made him steer back towards the light.

And Hi-Jax's shamed silence…was answer enough for the Darkest Exile.

"You made your choice, my friend" pointed out Ilxsa unemotionally. "I made mine. I do not want to die again. And in the end…_all _who oppose Sharak…DIE. It's only natural, and to defy that is _most illogical_."

The teenage exile looked deeply into Ilxsa's unfeeling eyes…and now felt _truly _and _completely _powerless. His spirit, his heart…couldn't fight back this time.

Ilxsa then snapped his fingers, making the anomaly break out of his trance. Despaired and now confused, he was easily taken down by a flying kick to the back. Hi-Jax instinctively tried to get back up on his feet only to have two feet land sharply on his spine, then bounce off it as though it were a trampoline. The attacker then landed before Hi-Jax's face and kicked it up off the deck, sending his body flying, where it slammed hard against the edge of the ship.

The eighteen-year-old groaned in pain. It certainly felt worse without his powers to help him out, relying on human-conditioning alone to deal with the physical blows. Still, he could deal with _this_. Compared to Ilxsa's tormenting revelation.

And the fact that his new attacker was Miki.

"Gotcha…_mortal_," taunted the Kim replica, having _not_ forgotten those taunts Hi-Jax had implanted into her mind and relishing in how the worm had turned. The teenager sneered angrily at the fake and tried to mount a counter-attack. Miki just sighed and delivered another flying kick that sent Hi-Jax overboard.

Where ravenous Screwdiver Heartless awaited in the depths.

Miki smirked and dusted off her hands. Ilxsa just stared over to where Hi-Jax struggled and sunk, gasping and grunting for his life against the ocean and the Heartless.

She didn't feel anything at all.

Although…a tiny part of her, genuinely thought that maybe she _should_.

Her logic crushed that feeling.

She buried Axel's advice and the incident with Coldstone. _Again_.

Turning to Miki, the Darkest Exile issued her orders.

"Sora is coming. The pirates will follow. Come, we have work to do."

* * *

***

The Screwdivers all charged him at once, top-speed. Striking with their lances, the Heartless brought Hi-Jax deep under the water. Drowning in water and pain, Hi-Jax kicked and punched the swarming creatures away from him, desperate to get away.

Quelling whatever panic was rising, the powerless teenager knew that they wouldn't kill him. They were going to beat him into submission and bring him back to Sharak. Underwater and powerless made Hi-Jax easy pickings for the Screwdivers, but not _that _easy. He reached for the surface, as another Screwdiver darted for him. He looked back to see the lance aimed to strike his side, wounding him enough to knock whatever fight remained in him.

The teenage exile moved out of the way, his reflexes grabbing the lance and wresting it away from the Heartless. Stabbing the creature through the chest with its own weapon, Hi-Jax proceeded to turn away from the Screwdiver's destruction to engage another, lance-to-lance. The aquatic Heartless were well in their element here. Artificially born for undersea hunting and combat, Screwdivers were ideal for this assignment. Faster and more apt than the powerless Hi-Jax in these conditions, the attacking creature struck the teenager across the chest with its lance.

Hi-Jax seethed and held his hand over his bloody chest. He retaliated with a death strike that felled his foe. The eighteen-year-old swam again for the surface…and was surprised. Without his powers, that strike across the chest should've hurt much more than it did. And yet it was though he'd just experienced a minor sting. Was his powers returning? He placed his hand across his chest to discover that he was no longer bleeding. And then…

_Wait a minute…_he wondered, now only seconds away from reaching the surfaces. _Am I…am I even breathing?_

He gasped for the precious air…only to discover that he _couldn't_. His lungs couldn't appreciate the oxygen, even though his head was now above water. The teenager, even more scared and confused, didn't have long to ponder the latest mystery. The two mindless Heartless that were left, impaled their lances into Hi-Jax, dragging him back to the depths.

Shocked more than hurt, Hi-Jax looked to gaze right into the Screwdivers' eyes. The propellers on the back of their heads span into high-speed life, and the dark creatures took their prey fast and far away from the Interceptor and the Isla de Muerta, further out to sea.

Hi-Jax no longer cared about why he wasn't dead already. He just saw the Heartless, reached out for their throats with both hands…and snapped their necks. The creatures instantly faltered and faded, the hearts trailing up into the sky.

The lances stuck in Hi-Jax disappeared too, and his momentum stopped. The teenage exile flipped because of the sudden stop but he soon regained an upright position and at last made the surface.

No air, no physical pain…and all alone out in the ocean.

Hi-Jax was close to breaking down. Lisa's heartless betrayal haunted him again. Sharak had dealt him another devastating blow. And he was once again powerless to do anything about it. His fighting spirit nearly crushed, his powers taken away, his friends oblivious to his being here…

It was all too much.

And as the tears escaped from Hi-Jax's eyes…he painfully accepted the truth.

That it was going to get even harder.

And he couldn't just give up because he was having a bad day.

Too much was at stake. Too many people were counting on him.

And his inner child knew that he had his reputation to think of.

_What do I do now, DiZ? _Hi-Jax asked tiredly. _Tell me…what do I do next?_

"MAN OVERBOARD!" yelled a voice. The anomaly slowly turned around to see a ship. A great big massive ship, here and now! Ecstatic, a revitalised Hi-Jax swam for the ship, its crew throwing a rope out for him to grab.

Then…he saw a face he recognised. Much to his chagrin.

It was the Navy lieutenant back at Port Royal.

"Welcome to the Dauntless, 'Mr Hi-Jax'!" smiled the lieutenant mockingly. "Oh, sorry…Adam, son of Mahanah! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Turning to one of the soldiers, he ordered, "Tell the Commodore and Governor Swann immediately that we've picked up a passenger."

With no other options available, Hi-Jax reluctantly allowed the Navy to help him aboard, into captivity.

_Great. I wonder if my holiday could possibly get any worse…_

* * *

***

Back in the Treasure Heap of the Isla de Muerta…

"The area is secure?" asked Miki.

"Completely," nodded Ilxsa unemotionally. "Sora and his friends are being pursued by the Black Pearl. They know nothing of our being here. And by the time they come back here, we will be long gone."

Turning to the shadows of the cave, the Darkest Exile ordered, "Bring it forward."

Two Pirate Heartless, slowly towed a steel cage forward into the moonlight, right by the mountain pile of treasure, where the stone chest lay on top. Inside the cage, snarling, drooling, growling and barking…was a true monstrosity. A werewolf-reptilian hybrid, hunchbacked with sharp-bony extrusions and ghastly green eyes, chained and behind bars, was ready to be unleashed.

Miki and Ilxsa just stared at the savage dog-beast before turning to one another.

"That greedy, weaselling human who spent his entire life trying to find Sharak?" Miki asked.

"Yes. A superstitious peasant who dreamt of being more than he could ever hope of becoming. Near the end of his life, he finally found Sharak…only _yesterday_…and begged for power, offering to trade his soul. The idea _amused _our master to a point. He agreed, but as punishment for wasting his time…"

"Really made something out of him," nodded the replica. "Totally mindless animal, hungering for blood."

"Sharak's own personal pet," Ilxsa continued. "Tortured, starved, enraged…and leashed by Sharak's power. Perfect for setting loose on Organization XIII. But unfortunately…_mortal_. A weakness in this case to be eliminated."

"You sure _you _don't have any weaknesses, Ilxsa?" asked Miki, raising an eyebrow at her.

"My weaknesses died with my heart," she glared at the replica ominously. "Now silence."

"Sure thing, ma'am," shrugged Miki. Magica then came forward, joining Ilxsa and Miki next to the stone chest. The witch smiled down on the savage beast below, then picked up one of the cursed medallions from the chest.

Twiddling it in-between her fingers, she began to chant her incantation.

"O, wise, powerful Heathen Gods! Hear me and defy the improbable odds! Channel your curse through my veins and allow me to understand! This beast should be punished by your hand! His greed matches Cortez' own! From heart and soul to flesh and bone! Curse him with immortality! Teach him the error of immortality! This man-come-beast who gave up his soul for greed! Give him what he deserves…everlasting, living need!"

The medallion's evil radiated in dark magic, just as Magica's own body began to glow a poisonously bright green. She then leaned back and thrust her arms forwards, hands and fingers stretching as far as they could in the direction of the caged animal. The beast howled insanely and in pain.

The moonlight showing it for what it really was.

* * *

***

On the Dauntless, Hi-Jax stood before Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann. The soldiers had the teenage exile at gunpoint and had listened to his story.

"My daughter…" said Swann to himself. "In the hands of those disgusting pirates!"

"Governor Swann," assured Norrington, sincerely. "You have my word that we _will_ find Elizabeth and put a stop to this rampage. We'll determine their best course of action…"

"Governor Swann," interrupted Hi-Jax, "I request your permission to have a say in this matter."

There was a long unsettling pause before the governor turned around, glaring at the teenager for daring to speak.

"You are an outworlder," began Swann, restraining his outrage over Hi-Jax's being here, his allegiance with Sparrow and the fact that William Turner, an honest blacksmith, had aided in their escape. And stolen the Interceptor, the fastest ship of the Navy, for their own purposes. "You go where you please, you do what you please. Not caring what rules you break, or what ruin you bring. I would've thought that someone with such utter disregard for world order would not need permission off anyone for anything."

"Governor Swann, I am _not _your enemy! I saved your daughter's life! I truthfully answered your questions, helped capture Sparrow, and came along peacefully and willingly when you placed me under arrest! What MORE do I have to do to prove to you that my intentions are benign?!"

"You do _not _belong here, son of Mahanah!" stepped in Norrington, fiercely. "And we have _very _good reason to doubt you. Your acquisition of Ansem's Report, as Governor Swan has informed me, links you to Heartless invaders. And the fact that Port Royal was invaded by nightmarish creatures along with the Black Pearl can only justify this."

The teenager turned to glare deep into the commodore's eyes.

"Do you actually know what a Heartless _is_, Norrington?" the anomaly began. "A Heartless is relentless. Powerful. Infinite. Predatory. Can spell the end of everything you know and care. And do you know the worst part? The part that's most frightening and _real_? A Heartless is _you_. It's what you can be at anytime if you succumb to arrogance and carelessness. Do you really think you can save your lovely squeeze…sorry, Miss Elizabeth, and bring peace and order to the Caribbean in _your _state?"

"Stop it!" snapped Norrington, more than one nerve touched.

"Stop what?" shrugged Hi-Jax innocently. "I haven't been the one to recklessly shoot first and ask questions later, being rude and dictatorial to those who've only come to help, now have I? Throwing people in cells, being ruthless with execution, disregarding compassion, sound judgement and the fact that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, wouldn't you agree, Governor Swann?! Such disregard, such darkness…just like Ansem. It would make my father proud if he were still alive to see this, eh? Doing your 'duty' to dishonour the Council of Light."

Swann didn't say anything. Should he have felt guilty for his actions a lot earlier? He sighed somewhat uncertainly, before surveying Mahanah's son. Listening to him, looking at what he was…whilst comparing him to the young, innocent boy he had remembered…

_The boy has changed so much, _thought the governor of Port Royal. _I wonder what Mahanah would've thought…_

"What is that you want?" asked Swann, deciding to hear him out.

"To _help_," assured Hi-Jax. "And I know that my methods go against the rules, and if I could abide by them to do my duty, I would. But that's not viable for me, and you _really_ don't want to know _why_ or _how_. Let me help, and when this is over, you have my word that I'll be gone."

Swann and Norrington looked at each other for a moment.

"Men…" ordered the commodore, "lower your weapons."

The soldiers responded, and Norrington unlocked the teenager's shackles.

"Mr Hi-Jax…you will provide bearings for the Isla de Muerta immediately."

"If you help save my daughter and bring these pirates to justice," added Governor Swann, "then I will grant you clemency and freedom."

"Fine," Hi-Jax muttered. "First of all…"

His words were cut short as a whole battalion of Pirates, Air Pirates and Battleships materialised to swarm the Dauntless.

_Damn! _sneered Hi-Jax. _They're not gonna give up until they've brought me back to Sharak!_

"TO ARMS!" ordered Norrington, drawing his pistol and sword and simultaneously dispatching of a Pirate and Air Pirate that tried to ambush him. The commodore's men followed suit, bringing forth their own weapons to try and combat the insidious monsters.

"Governor Swann, barricade yourself in my cabin!"

Elizabeth's father jumped in bewilderment as a Battleship's cannon-fire exploded on the deck, rocking the ship.

"That's an order!" yelled Norrington as he tried to fight off two fierce Heartless.

Hi-Jax took the moment to grab the governor and dart for the cabin. Kicking the door aside, he threw Swann to the floor, yelling at him to move the chest of drawers to block the door, and also to keep down on the floor and hide. Slamming the door behind him, Hi-Jax took out his own sword and pistol to join the Navy in their fight.

Explosions and clashing cutlasses accompanied screams of dying and war. To his credit, Norrington was an excellent commander. Despite never facing such nightmarish creatures before, he was able to hold his own against the Heartless and able to direct his troops to keep them at bay.

However, they were exactly as Hi-Jax had warned. Powerful and relentless, predatory and infinite…and the soldiers themselves. Whilst others battled bravely and valiantly, others fought recklessly and in fear and desperation. Their hearts soon succumbing to darkness, turning into the enemy forces.

And without Hi-Jax's powers to swing the odds in their favour, the outcome was obvious. The longer the battle went, the more likely the Heartless would be the victors. The anomaly knew he had to do something. He had to get to the Isla de Muerta, confront Ilxsa and find a way to undo this curse.

_Come on, Hi-Jax! Do the impossible again! Another day in the office! That's all it is! DO IT!_

The powerless anomaly continued to fight off against the Pirates that surrounded him but there were two many. They soon restrained and overpowered him and teleported away. Hi-Jax was now their prisoner.

* * *

***

"It's done," smiled Magica down on the skeletal beast. "We have ourselves an immortal attack dog, capable of running wild on all worlds."

"Return to Castle Oblivion immediately," ordered Ilxsa. "I will follow shortly."

Magica opened a portal for her, Miki, the Heartless and the caged beast to pass through. Seconds after they'd gone, Hi-Jax materialised with two Air Pirates restraining him, with another Pirate holding its sword close to his throat.

Hi-Jax glared at Ilxsa, whose face didn't betray any emotion. She just snapped her fingers, sending the Heartless away. Hi-Jax dropped to his hands and knees, before stumbling down the pile of treasure. Ilxsa levitated herself off the heap and gently landed beside him. The anomaly looked up at the Darkest Exile, sneering.

"The final goodbye?" he asked coldly. "Before you sell out again to Sharak?"

Ilxsa just stared at him for a few moments. Before shushing him and stretching her hand out at him. Hi-Jax's confusion was soon replaced by more anger, as a dark aura clouded his body and then sent him hurtling towards another, more shadowy and secretive part of the cave.

Hi-Jax again didn't feel anything as his body impacted against the cave wall. He picked himself up to see Ilxsa staring blankly at him, and to hear the crew of the Black Pearl returning to the Treasure Heap. Ilxsa turned to point behind her. Will Turner was now Captain Barbossa's prisoner. Before long, all the pirates were gathered and assembled around the chest, with the medallion and the blood they needed to finally undo the curse.

"Will…" whispered Hi-Jax in despair, knowing what was going to happen. "It's _his _blood they need to lift the curse."

"Why are we here, Adam?" asked Ilxsa as she surveyed the bloodthirsty pirates. "When we don't belong here? When we have no place in this story? Is it because Sharak demands attention? Or is because _we _want to ignore our roles as the unseen?"

"Shut up," was all the anomaly had to say.

"I wanted my memories back," explained the Female Nobody. "And when I finally reclaimed them…it made me question myself. I'm now like you, torn between two opposites, each one fighting for supremacy. You and Sharak, you both want to control me, you're both obsessed with me…and it's only logical that I've now become the line that both divides and unites you."

Turning to her former friend, Lisa's shell added, "I spoke to Axel. Was he right or wrong? I don't know, but both you and Sharak are starting to complete me, Adam. And…I…I don't…"

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed at her. He didn't feel rage this time, not like he had done with Sternan. The circumstances were different this time. And unlike Sternan, it wasn't too late for Ilxsa. She was just like the former Adam. A victim, caught in-between good and evil, wanting to be saved.

And maybe…there was hope for them both!

"Lisa…" began Hi-Jax, apologetically. "I'm sorry. For everything. I've sinned and so have you…but it _has _to stop. It's time to start the healing and forgiving. I was bitter and angry, obsessed with revenge. But all the friends I've made, the business with Sternan and Karall…they all started to make me better. Surely you can start to be better as well, after your conversation with Axel, what you did to Coldstone. Don't do this, don't destroy yourself. Just like I almost did."

Ilxsa's eyes finally started to blink. And for a moment…Hi-Jax wondered if she was actually going to cry.

Seconds passed. The pirates' cheering and Barbossa's speech was inaudible to the both of them, as they were completely lost in the moment.

And then…

"Ahoy!" yelled a familiar voice. "Treasure, mateys!"

Everyone in the cave turned to see Sora, Donald, Goofy and Captain Jack Sparrow run in. The sight made Hi-Jax smile in delight. Whatever Ilxsa had been feeling instantly vanished upon seeing Sharak's greatest enemy and the king's followers.

Barbossa was aghast. Sparrow and the rest had survived his death trap!

"Not possible."

"Not _probable_!" corrected Donald proudly. "We're alive and we're pirates!"

One-by-one, the pirate captain and his odd crew came forth, weapons drawn and standing proud and confident.

"Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"Sora!"

"Donald Duck!"

"Name's Goofy!"

"So you want to play pirate?" mocked Barbossa, unimpressed. "Best save the playacting for the nursery. After them!"

The crew of the Black Pearl roared and rushed to attack the Keybearer and his friends. Jack darted off to engage Barbossa, the man who had betrayed him and usurped his ship and position as captain.

And in the shadows, Ilxsa drew her sai daggers. Hi-Jax looked to his friend.

"Lisa, don't!"

"The will of Sharak is all that matters," she declared coldly. "And nothing else. For the sake of my heart, I must deliver the cure. It is logical."

Ilxsa thrust towards the outmatched Hi-Jax, intent on doing enough damage to immobilize him for easy transport. The teenage exile knew that he couldn't loose here, there was far too much at stake. Dodge-rolling away from Ilxsa's strikes, he drew his own sword and blocked her sai. Emotion spread across Ilxsa's face; _surprise _to be specific.

"This…this defies logic!" she protested. "You are powerless! You cannot…!"

"_Still _full of surprises!" smirked Hi-Jax. "Engarde! Arrr!"

Hi-Jax drove back the Nobody, sure that with all the fighting going on in the cave, Sora and the others wouldn't notice him. After all, they had their own problems to deal with.

Speaking of which, Jack and Barbossa fiercely clashed their swords, both determined to settle their scores once and for all. Barbossa parried Jack's strike, then he did the same. Their weapons clashed again, sparks flying. They soon locked against each other, with Barbossa smiling insidiously at Jack, who appeared scared in an exaggerated way.

"You're off the edge of the map, mate!" grinned Barbossa evilly. "Here there be monsters!"

The two pirates broke away from each other, only to resume their furious swordplay. Moments later, Jack parried Barbossa's strike away from him, leaving an opening for him to chop up the massive feather on the captain's hat. Subsequently, Sparrow let loose a triumphant "Aha!" which infuriated his arch-rival even more. Jack's ecstatic smile instantly dropped when Barbossa screamed in rage, determined to kill Sparrow once and for all.

Sora, Donald and Goofy were easily able to fight off all challengers that came their way. The ignorant, brutish pirates had forgotten Pete's warnings about their skeletal forms being vulnerable to their magic, and thus didn't stay out of the moonlight like they should've done. Still, the Black Pearl's undead crew were tough and harder to deal with than most Heartless. As for Will, he refused to be an innocent bystander, and was able to join in the battle by tripping up a pirate, taking his sword, skilfully using it to cut his binds and join the fray.

In the midst of all the fighting, both Hi-Jax and Ilxsa were still able to maintain a low profile. Again, everyone else was too busy fighting to notice what else was going on.

"Resistance is futile, my friend," the Darkest Exile said, as she moved faster and faster to block and evade the anomaly's strikes. "You have no powers, no equal footing to mine. You will surely die fighting me in your weakened state."

The eighteen-year-old fell to the ground rolling after taking a vicious slash across the chest and a fast, hard kick to the jaw. Looking up at his unscratched opponent, Hi-Jax knew she was right. A bleeding chest and mouth made him realise that, even though neither injuries actually hurt, strangely. But Hi-Jax knew he had an ace in the hole, or so he thought.

"How can Sharak get his cure from me if I'm _dead_?" he grinned, mockingly. "Stalemate!"

"Not quite," Ilxsa replied, with a hint of 'regret' and 'sadness' in her voice. "Ring-a-ring-a-rosies…"

Her hand grabbed the anomaly's throat quicker than he could react. Bringing him closer to her, the Female Nobody continued to sing, "…a pocket full of posies…"

…and beat him with her fist.

"…atishoo, atishoo…we all…fall…"

The Nobody then got her sai and impaled Hi-Jax with it. Shocked more than hurt, the anomaly backed away as Ilxsa released him from her grasp.

"…down," she finished, a tear actually falling from her eye.

Hi-Jax staggered backwards, looking like he was finally about to fall down.

"We'll keep you alive long enough for Sharak to feed," the Nobody coldly informed him, still looking as though she was so sad for the first time in ages.

Hi-Jax continued to stagger backwards, groaning in his dying.

Then…he stood in a moonlit spot.

His skeletal form was now revealed at long last.

The teenage exile stopped making exaggerated dying noises and paused, looking at himself. And once again…Ilxsa was actually confused. This revelation defied logic! She stared at him, open-mouthed and at a loss for words.

"Hmm…that's interesting," remarked Hi-Jax, curious over the situation. "Oh, of course! Elizabeth's medallion. The shockwave that happened, when the gold fell in the sea and called those bound by it. Because of my powers and the fact I'm not from this world, it affected me differently. Took away my powers and made me like this, even though I never stole any treasure and don't have to repay any blood."

Ilxsa still stood absolutely confused. The hideously, skeletal face of Hi-Jax shifted into a grin as he tried to explain to her in more simple terms.

"Curse of the Aztec gold. It rubs off on you…love."

Ilxsa's expression then altered into one of rage. She held her hand out and her sai magically reappeared in her grasp.

"Magic can still…"

Hi-Jax wasn't going to let her finish this time. Taking his sword, he leapt out of the moonlight struck Ilxsa's side, injuring her non-fatally. She stumbled, nearly falling over and clutched her side in pain. Sneering, she looked to the anomaly, arms folded and looking disgusted at her.

"Oh. That's interesting. I _wouldn't _have killed you, after all, Lisa. In spite of everything you'd done, and the fact that I had an opportunity to end your life. Obviously the same can't be said for you. Who's the _real _monster now…_idiot_?"

Ilxsa was now failing to maintain her unemotional state. Her memories were punishing her again and again as she thought back to her friendship with Adam and Jaron, the loss of her home and her life at Sharak's hands, her return as a Nobody and everything since then. She wanted to feel emotion so badly that she was now pretending again. She felt 'rage' and 'sorrow', infuriated by Hi-Jax's taunts and regretting all the sins she'd committed.

_No…Lisa is DEAD!_ the Darkest Exile told herself. _I must serve Sharak! I must regain my heart! I have to survive and be logical! It's the only thing that's left!_

"I'm still going to save you," promised Hi-Jax. "Whether you want it or not."

"You…fool! I will…!"

_Ilxsa! _ordered Sharak telepathically. _Return to Castle Oblivion immediately!_

_What of Hi-Jax? A complication has arisen. He…_

_Hi-Jax is UNIMPORTANT for the moment! We've made a crucial discovery that could turn the tide of the war! I want you back here NOW!_

Soulless logicality consuming her once again, the Darkest Exile teleported away. Hi-Jax didn't even try to stop her, knowing that they'd confront another once again.

_I promise, Lisa, _vowed Hi-Jax, putting aside all his grief over the whole day's events, now focusing only on what he had to.

_I promise._

His line of thought was broken by the screams of fighting again. Snapping back into the present, he saw Will fending off three pirates and he was holding his own very well. Sora, Donald and Goofy had nearly finished off the Black Pearl's crew and Jack and Barbossa were still engaged in their fierce war.

_Not that much left to do. Still…may as well help out. Discreetly, of course._

Leaping into the fray, staying out of the moonlit parts of the cave, Hi-Jax joined Will in the fight. The blacksmith turned and smiled in delight, happy to see him. Hi-Jax grinned back, then shushed, "Don't tell Sora, Donald and Goofy I'm here."

Will looked back at him in confusion but was immediately caught back in the fighting again and was forced to respond with a quick, "If you insist!"

As they continued to tangle, Hi-Jax blocked a pirate's swordstrike. The pirate, having never seen Hi-Jax before, fell into puzzlement.

"Who are you supposed to be?" asked the ruthless cutthroat.

"I'm what you'd call the anti-pirate," smiled the teenager, before head butting the pirate to the ground. "M'heartie."

Not long after, Sora had just swatted away the last pirate standing.

"No more playacting now!" he confidently told the defeated pirates. The others, barring Hi-Jax who retreated to the shadows, regrouped with him.

"Thank you, Sora," nodded Will graciously. The Keybearer smiled and nodded back.

"Uh, where's Jack?" asked Goofy.

They all turned to see the two pirate captains _still _crossing swords, each one refusing to give up.

"Jack! Get him!" Sora cheered on.

"Huh?" he shouted back, distracted.

It was a fatal mistake.

Barbossa took advantage by plunging his sword right into Jack's chest. Sora gasped in horror.

"Jack!"

"You're a fool, Jack Sparrow," Barbossa grinned triumphantly.

Like Hi-Jax before him, Jack stumbled backwards into a patch of moonlight, where to everyone's shock…he was revealed to have a skeletal form as well. Everyone was at a loss as Jack just held his hand up to look at it, rather interested at what had happened. He then looked at his other hand, as he flipped a pirate medallion in-between his bony knuckles. Once he'd finished, he turned his head back to Barbossa, revealing a naughty, little smile.

That's when everyone realised that during the fight, Sparrow had looted the chest to use the curse to fight the pirates on their own terms. It was brilliant strategy.

"Jack…" smiled Will in admiration. Barbossa shook his fist in anger. His crew had been defeated, Sparrow was immortal like him, and he was now the one who was greatly outnumbered.

"Show yourself, Pete!" the ruthless captain demanded. "The tide has changed!"

Everyone looked to see Maleficent's right-hand man emerge from the shadows. Hi-Jax was secretly surprised. He didn't think that such an obvious oaf would have the ability to keep to the darkness and avoid the fighting so well. Then again, Hi-Jax still didn't have his powers, so the oversight was understandable.

"See?" Pete reminded Barbossa. "I told ya you'd be needin' ol' Pete!"

Pete whistled to summon an Illuminator Heartless to even the odds. Creeping down the walls, eyes glowing ominously and tongue rolling out, the creature leapt to and fro, soon taking its place behind Barbossa.

Immediately, the Illuminator intensified the darkness in the cave. It was now too dark for even the moonlight to shine in the caverns, making Barbossa completely invulnerable to anything and everything. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack and Will quickly and painfully discovered this as the pirate captain withstood all their attacks and retaliated with shots from his pistol and dangerous, lightning-quick sword combinations.

Realising that they had to take out the aiding Heartless, Jack held Barbossa off while Sora and the others hunted the Illuminator creature. The Heartless was fast and slippery. It tried to fend off its attackers with fireballs and striking them away with its tongue but it took much more punishment than it could dish out and wisely opted to flee to other parts of the cave. It was only delaying the inevitable, though. Sora and his friends were just as fast, and in no time at all, they were able to dispatch the creature, returning normal lighting to the cave, and making Barbossa more vulnerable again.

Hi-Jax and Pete both opted to stay on the sidelines. Pete's cowardice was the main reason why he wouldn't get involved, instead choosing to root for Barbossa, as well as summon more Illuminator Heartless to try and give the advantage back to the pirate captain. Pete shuddered to think what would happen if he reported _yet-another-failure_ to Maleficent. He thought his days would be numbered after his failure to destroy the Cornerstone of Light and conquer the past back in Timeless River. His punishment had indeed been most severe, yet his loyalty and ever-present status still made him useful to Maleficent in these difficult times.

Nevertheless, he _had _to secure a victory here. Especially with the growing Organization XIII problem. And he couldn't take his second-in-command position for granted, not with who he served.

Hi-Jax on the other hand, just stood arms folded, making sure that Sora and the others didn't see him for the sake of preserving the current timeline. He also knew that the Keybearer would easily be able to handle this Barbossa and save another world. It was just another day in their lives.

Hi-Jax smiled warmly. Sora had matured and grown much stronger than when he last remembered. It was no wonder why he had defeated Ansem and saved the whole world and Kingdom Hearts. He was born to be the hero, the forever light in the darkest hour. The Keyblade had indeed chosen its wielder most wisely. Sora radiated peace and hope wherever he went. He was perfect to bring down Organization XIII and restore happiness to all reality.

Everything would be all right again. Because of him. And others like him.

_Today obviously wasn't the day when we would reunite and fight side-by-side,_ thought Hi-Jax. _But the day will come when light, dark and nothing will all be drawn together in the battle to end all battles. And when that day comes…for better or worse, everything will be resolved. It has to be in order to restore true balance to the world. And that's a day…I cannot wait for._

After furious exchanges, advantages changing back-and-forth, yet another Illuminator Heartless was killed. Sora and his party had battled Barbossa to a standstill, and Pete was forced to face the truth. This was yet another battle he wasn't going to win.

"This ain't over!" he promised, turning and running with his tail between his legs. Jack and Barbossa turned back to one another.

"Right! Care to surrender, Barbossa?"

Barbossa just drew his sword again.

"Well, enough of this, then…" shrugged Jack, dropping his sword and taking out his pistol, aimed right for his enemy's heart. "What say you we call it…a _draw_?"

Sighing in exasperation, Barbossa replied condescendingly, "Jack, how many times do I have to tell ya…?"

Taking the medallion he'd stolen from the chest, Jack threw it with all his might.

Then shot Barbossa with the only shot left in his pistol. The Black Pearl's captain just laughed, not feeling a thing.

"Laugh while you can, Barbossa!" shouted Will.

The pirate turned to see the blacksmith now standing above the stone chest, holding a knife. He had caught the medallion Jack had thrown to him, that had been stained in his blood during Pete's retreat. Will also had the medallion once taken by Elizabeth. The one that had been passed onto Will by his father, Bootstrap Bill, whose blood was needed to remove the curse.

Will had also repaid the blood along with the final gold piece.

He dropped the final two blood-stained medallions back into the chest.

Hi-Jax smiled. He felt much stronger now, like he was back to his old self. Putting his arm into moonlight, it remained the same. Perfectly human.

Barbossa looked to his chest, to see that the bullet had gone right through his heart. Taking his eyes off the fatal bleeding, he looked up to briefly chuckle at Sparrow, admitting he was impressed with his adversary's smart play.

Jack just stared at him and lowered his pistol. The curse had now been lifted, his enemy was dead and he now had his ship back.

"I feel…" gasped Barbossa, weakly, "cold."

Then he dropped dead.

Jack just stared at his body. The others walked up to him.

Hi-Jax looked long and hard at Sora, Donald and Goofy one last time. They didn't see him, naturally. And he knew they wouldn't even know he was here.

"Goodbye, my friends," he whispered sadly, before teleporting away.

* * *

***

Upon Ilxsa's retreat and Pete and Barbossa's defeat, the two Heartless factions fled from Port Royal. The Navy that once been on the edge of extinction back on the Dauntless had lived to tell the tale. All had originally frozen in hesitation, wondering whether this was a deception on the Heartless' part. But a few moments was all it took for Norrington to realise that Hi-Jax had kept his word. The dark creatures and their leaders had been driven away.

"The ship is ours, gentlemen," the commodore had declared, which was the signal for all the soldiers to chant "Huzzah!" in enthusiastic, joyous celebration. Governor Swann emerged from Norrington's cabin to join the soldiers in their victory.

Much later, the crew attended to all their wounded and began to make preparations to continue their search for Elizabeth and Will. By the time they were ready to set sail, Norrington's lieutenant noticed that the missing Interceptor was approaching, carrying the missing party, where they told the governor and the commodore the whole story.

"And so Jack left, along with the others," finished Will. "We used the Interceptor to catch up with you. A while after we parted ways, we met Hi-Jax again. He told us the Dauntless was looking for us and pointed us in the right direction."

"He's like a ghost," remarked Elizabeth. "One minute he's there…the next he wasn't. Happened when we turned our heads. Though I think he's what you would call the _good_ kind of ghost…and he seems to like it that way."

"He also told us to pass along this message. 'I told you so'."

A long silence fell over them. After several awkward seconds passed, Governor Swann approached Will.

"William Turner…" he began solemnly, "your decision to engage in piracy was most disappointing."

"I thought we might have to expect some manner of escape from Sparrow and Hi-Jax, two notorious breakers of law…" added Norrington sternly, "but not orchestrated by _you_."

"He did it to rescue me!" protested Elizabeth. "To prevent anything from happening to me!"

"Elizabeth, please," asked her father. "Commodore Norrington is bound by the law, as are we _all_. I don't deny, though…that this whole affair has challenged my beliefs, and everything I've been taught and learnt from those that I allied with."

Swann let his pause carry through the air long enough to emphasise how serious this situation was.

"I know why you did what you did, William. I could sense some kind of bond between you and my daughter. Ever since the day you two first met when we rescued you from that shipwreck ten years ago. However…"

"Governor Swann, Commodore Norrington…" Will respectfully interrupted. He struggled to try and find the right words, so instead decided to listen to his heart after ignoring it for so long.

"Elizabeth…" he turned to the governor's daughter, "I should've told you everyday from the moment I met you. I love you."

This declaration shocked both Swann and Norrington. They were at a loss for words. They turned to Elizabeth, waiting for her response.

She didn't hesitate at all.

"If Will's fate is the gallows," she declared, truthfully unafraid to admit it, "then my place is with _him_."

Swann remained shocked, yet Norrington was obviously the more heartbroken of the two.

"So…this is where your heart truly lies?" The Commodore had made it no secret to anyone in the past about his love for Elizabeth. The governor's daughter knew it was cruel to break the heart of James Norrington, who despite his faults was a good man. But it would be even crueller to pretend she had romantic inclinations for him, when her heart did indeed belong to someone else.

"It is," she nodded.

Thankfully for all four, the awkward moment was interrupted by a cry of "Sail ho!" and the arrival of the lieutenant.

"Sir! Black Pearl off the starboard bow!"

They all rushed to the side of the Interceptor. The lieutenant handed the commodore the telescope. Far away from the Navy's ships, Captain Jack Sparrow was in command and at the helm of his ship once again. He took his hat off and waved at the navy in farewell. The Black Pearl sailed off into the distance.

"What's your plan of action?" asked the lieutenant.

For the first time ever in his life, Norrington's duty was clouded by emotion. The whole experience with Sparrow and Hi-Jax had left him unable to make a decision at this crucial moment. It was imperative to protect and maintain the world order, yet his heart was telling him what was truly right.

"Sir!" the lieutenant asked again for orders.

Norrington was still at a loss, painfully trapped between right and wrong, unable to decide which was which. The fact that a future with Elizabeth was now completely out of the question didn't help ease his pain at all.

On the other hand, Governor Swann was more calm about the situation. Probably because he had finally understood what Hi-Jax had been trying to explain to him. Trying to _teach _him. Taking his studious eyes off Norrington, he looked back to the sight of the Black Pearl.

"As I was about to say before I was interrupted," Swann spoke out loud, "perhaps on the _rare _occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy."

With those carefully chosen words, Norrington's own thoughts suddenly became a lot more clearer.

"Piracy itself can be the right course," suggested the governor. With that, the commodore smiled contently, now at peace with himself and indeed his heart.

"Mr Turner," he asked turning away from the sight of the fading Black Pearl. Elizabeth looked to Will, fearing for him.

"I will accept the consequences of my actions," he declared nobly. Turning to face Norrington and his men, Will was ready to embrace his fate, whatever it would be. The commodore just drew his sword, holding it upright between himself and the blacksmith. The sword had been made by Will for Norrington's promotion ceremony.

"This is a beautiful sword," remarked the Navy commander, studying it in appreciation. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in _every _aspect of his life."

His eyes then met with Will's, who understood exactly what he meant.

"Thank you," he nodded graciously. Norrington smiled respectfully at both him and Elizabeth. They had his blessing and support, as well as those of Governor Swann.

"Sailors, set up top sails! Both ships!" he ordered to his men. "Return to Port Royal, immediately!"

"Commodore!" asked the lieutenant, looking fleetingly out to the Black Pearl. "What about Sparrow and Hi-Jax?"

"Oh, I think Hi-Jax has proved us wrong _enough_ times," remarked Norrington, casually. "We don't want to make ourselves look _really_ foolish, now do we? And as for Sparrow…I'm sure we can afford to give him _one _day's head start."

With that, all the soldiers began to get underway, leaving Will and Elizabeth alone with her father.

"So…this is the path you've chosen, is it?" he smiled respectfully. "After all, he is a blacksmith."

"No," replied Elizabeth happily. "He's a pirate."

Swann respectfully left them be.

As they kissed.

* * *

***

"Got me message then, ay?" asked Jack.

Hi-Jax teleported onto the ship, walking up to join him by the helm.

"Your _clothes_, your _thoughts_, your _heart_…" remarked the anomaly, smirking. "_Everything_ about you smells…mate."

"By the way…nice imitations in the cave."

"You saw all that stuff with Ilxsa?! You heard?! How?!"

"You have to learn to keep a sharp _eye _in this life, mate. As well as a sharp _ear_. At all times"

"Sora…?"

"Makings of a fine pirate, no doubt," Jack explained, impressed. "Still a long way to go, though. They never knew you were here."

The anomaly looked at Sparrow for a moment. Another smile spread across his face, one of gratitude.

"Jack…thank you."

"You helped me get the Pearl back, Master Hi-Jax. Fair is fair."

The two shook hands.

"Congratulations, Captain Sparrow. The Black Pearl is yours again. So…what's your first port of call?"

"Anything I want, mate. But I do fancy a trip to Tortuga. Interested?"

"Shiver me timbers!" exclaimed Hi-Jax, knowing what Tortuga was like from his schooling and looking inside Jack's heart. The captain turned to the teenage exile with a triumphant, "Aha! Pirate! Pirate! Pirate!"

"After a while…you learn to _lighten _up," admitted Hi-Jax.

"So…is your holiday over, then?" asked Jack. "Or do you have your own Heartless seas to sail?"

"They're not going anywhere. And neither am I. Sharak and Lisa can wait. I still have a holiday to finish before I get back to work. First mate Hi-Jax reporting for duty, Cap'n."

"Then get ready to breathe deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga. Savvy?"

"Fancy a rum?" asked Hi-Jax, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Course I would!" moaned Jack in despair. "But we can't. Because the rum is _always_ gone."

"Not this time," the anomaly smiled, conjuring up two bottles of rum with his powers. "Here you go!"

Jack grinned like a child as he accepted Hi-Jax's gift.

"As captain of the Black Pearl, I hereby appoint you official instant rum-maker!"

"For the duration of my holiday _only_!" stipulated the teenager.

"Gibbs never mentioned that remarkable little trait of yours…" said Jack, still impressed. Then, he and Hi-Jax turned their attention to what lay ahead. "Now…bring us that horizon."

Then they started to sing.

"Duh-duh-duh-duh…duh-duh-duh-duh…and _really_ bad eggs…Drink up, me hearties. Yo-ho!"

Then they toasted.

* * *

**_Well, hope you really loved that chapter and thought it was worth the wait. A thousand apologies again, o patient ones, for waiting and being loyal. Expect to see more. Hopefully, very soon. Or at least sooner than this update. Please provide feedback as always._**

**_Next chapter...REFLECTION IS BACK! Stay tuned!_**

**_D.C. Wood (29/11/08)_**


	18. Chapter 18: The Knowledge Prize

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 18: The Knowledge Prize**

Seven hours ago…

Warp Darkmatter _really_ liked the job offer. And he was determined to get a contract.

Ever since the fall of his former long-time employer, Emperor Zurg, Darkmatter had been forced to go on the run in order to escape Star Command.

The fact that he'd infiltrated their ranks as Zurg's double agent and betrayed them was _obviously_ putting more and more crimps on his days. Not that he regretted it, of course…certainly not the munny or the fun he'd gotten out of evil…but still…

Star Command had really been enforcing it's authority as of late. Galactic rule and law order over the worlds had been growing stronger, even in the face of the Heartless. Villains on so many worlds who were looking to conquer them with their own dark creatures were located and quelled. Transmissions from those looking to ally with or work for Maleficent were traced and criminal operations were shut down. And thanks to the heroes on the worlds, Sora, and a handful of others, as well as Star Command, peace and order had been dominant, in spite of threats like Sharak and Organization XIII.

Being forced into bounty-hunting had been the only choice left for Warp, and that suited him fine. As much as he'd liked working for Zurg, this new career meant more options, more freedom, more clients…maybe even more munny over a longer course of time.

Well, that had been the idea.

Star Command, specifically their top space ranger, Buzz Lightyear (and his team), hunted Warp relentlessly, determined to bring him to justice. And because so many villains and their schemes were being shut down, it was becoming increasingly harder to find jobs that paid real well. He'd had to settle for pittance too many times from jobs in Ruination City. And he couldn't enjoy the so-called 'fruits-of-his-labour' for long, before he was forced to flee.

Darkmatter had been trying to survive like this for the last nine months, only really being able to spend his munny on foul, junk food and repairs to his outdated battle armour and robotic arm to keep them going. He couldn't afford any proper upgrades or comfortable living on his poor income. As a result, he became more and more agitated and was starting to lose his edge. He'd started failing more jobs, losing more bounties…and it was now only a matter of time before Star Command would apprehend him.

Then came the altercation with Hi-Jax. His assignment ruined, his armour and arm completely destroyed beyond repair; it had been a one-sided battle that ended in utter defeat and humiliation, in front of Ruination City's population. Ever the expert, though…Warp had been able to fake his death and escape again.

Nevertheless, Warp Darkmatter knew he'd been finished. No one would ever hire him again after the Hi-Jax debacle. No income, no weapons, no rep, forced to hideout in the sewers with little food left…he was now honestly thinking of just turning himself in to Star Command. In the tough crackdown on villainy…what else was their left for him?

At Warp's very lowest ebb…the answer came directly to him.

A girl dressed in a black coat had come directly to Warp. _Ilxsa _was her name, and she'd come on behalf of her master. Another _emperor _and galactic conqueror, reputed to be infinitely more powerful, ruthless, cunning and competent than even Zurg. Sharak was his name. Darkmatter had never heard of him before but he liked the sound of his offer…and the colour of his munny.

The mercenary was taken to Castle Oblivion and given the grand tour, meeting so many new recruits for Sharak's campaign. Warp approved of his inviter's hospitality. First he'd been given a shower and the finest meal he'd had in his life. The fact that it had been his first proper, decent meal in months would've been enough, but because it was truly the best food he'd ever tasted, Warp realised he'd just scored big.

Warp had then been fitted with brand new armour and robotic arm, complete with laser-cannon and flame-thrower armaments. Agent Z was back in business.

But that depended on whether he was successful in this trial Sharak had given him. Having been informed of the Darkness-Nothing war between Sharak and Organization XIII, the depletion of Sharak's ranks and the quest to conquer Hi-Jax and Kingdom Hearts, Warp was revitalised. He'd been given purpose and a new career in evil.

Warp was keen to get even with Hi-Jax for that near-crippling humiliation back in Ruination City, but Sharak had another test for him to prove his loyalty and effectiveness. Doctor Drakken had intercepted a bizarre data flow signal that led to the battlegrounds of Hollow Bastion. The information had been heavily encrypted, similar to what Drakken had sent Ilxsa back in Traverse Town. Drakken had been able to decipher some outstanding subject titles like 'Master Xehanort', 'The Chasers: Terra, Aqua and Ven,' 'The Keyblade War,' 'Sharak's Servants and Betrayers' and 'The Origin of Kingdom Hearts'.

Agent Z, helmeted and armed was now flying above The Great Maw, his cloaking device successfully shielding him from enemy detection. The assignment: fly into enemy territory, locate the source of the data signal, determine exactly the full extent of what it was and report back. However it was deep in the part of Hollow Bastion where the Nobodies had infested it. Nevertheless, successful completion of the task would gain Warp Darkmatter ten times his usual fee and a full-time contract with Sharak.

Failure would result in termination. In _every _sense.

But that didn't scare Agent Z. He was a whole different person with his helmet on. Competent, fearless, nightmarish…unbeatable. Nothing could stop him. _Nothing_. Success would be his, and for the first time in months, he revelled in the job.

Soon enough, Agent Z had pinpointed the source of the transmission. Using his visor to zoom in on the target, he could see that it was an abandoned laptop, hooked up to some kind of advanced radio transmitter, unlike anything Darkmatter had seen before. The mercenary smelt a trap, but nevertheless landed next to the computer and started typing and clicking away.

"Agent Z to Sharak," he radioed after a minute of accessing the _really _interesting data before him. "Data acquisition successful. Returning to headquarters."

At that moment, Nobodies emerged. As soon as they did, though, Agent Z activated his flame-thrower and incinerated them all. But just as quickly, dozens of Dusks appeared to surround the intruder in their territory. And they were backed up by many more lethal Samurai Nobodies.

"So it _was _a trap…" remarked the sarcastic Agent Z. "Clunkers, move in!"

The heavy artillery responded in kind, dropping out of the sky and teleporting around the enemy, blasting away with their mammoth firepower. Many of the Dusks contorted and flew through the air to try and avoid the gunfire and missiles but the outmatched Nobodies were mostly blown apart by the superior force. Not to be outdone, the Samurais attacked as quick as the eye could blink, slashing the much slower Heartless' legs and bringing them down to their knees where the Dusks could pounce on them and claw and bite away at the armour and Heartless flesh within.

The much stronger Clunkers, though, were able to retaliate by swatting/kicking away and stomping on their smaller foes. More Nobodies were soon being blown apart, and the worst the Dusks and Samurais had been able to do was disarm the Heartless and rip away their armour, but even as they continued to grapple with the much taller and powerful creatures, they were fighting a losing battle.

And had taken their eyes off Agent Z, who had now closed down the necessary programs on the laptop and had ejected the CD-ROM out of the drive to bring it to his new employer.

And that was when the 'UNAUTHORISED SHUTDOWN!" message scrolled across screen. Then came the alarm and the words "INITIATING SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE IN 10, 9, 8..."

The Heartless and Nobodies all stopped fighting and turned to look at the blaring laptop and Agent Z with the disc in his metal claws.

"Ah…" the mercenary realised, activating his wings and blasting off into the sky, putting the disc into a safe compartment in his armour. A few of the Dusks grabbed on to him, determined to bring him down. Alas, they couldn't even scratch his formidable armour and he was able to get rid of them.

As the great explosion erupted in The Great Maw, consuming the majority of the Nobody and Heartless forces. Darkmatter had not been able to fly away from the explosion unscathed but the damage was superficial. The mercenary and his team returned to their warship in the sky, as the Dusks waved their arms wildly in 'rage'.

The prize and the triumph belonged to the Heartless.

As a concerned Yuffie surveyed the explosion from the town.

* * *

Six and a half hours ago.

Vexen's old laboratory. Now Doctor Drakken's.

Present was Sharak, Drakken and the unmasked Warp Darkmatter, helmet tucked under his arm. Warp, now sporting a proud smirk, snapped a salute to the contaminated darkness, who looked at all the information put up on the screen before him.

"Amazing…absolutely amazing…" remarked Sharak, entranced by all this data. "All these faces…the roads to paradise…the scars of betrayal…I've more gaps in my memory than I realised."

"My liege!" cried out an excited Drakken, pointing to the screen suddenly. "Look! Look! Look! Detailed plans of Organization XIII's schemes! How they mean to acquire Kingdom Hearts! It's all here!"

Sharak was absolutely amazed. With this mysterious disc…he _finally _had the means to wipe out _all _his enemies. And yet…the trap had been orchestrated by Xemnas. The dangling carrot was far too valuable to be placed in such an easily escapable scenario. It was as though the Organization had _wanted _Sharak to get that disc.

_But why?_ wondered the creature. _There's obviously a catch. But surprises can wait. After all, I can survive whatever pathetic schemes they throw at me._

"Good work, Darkmatter," congratulated Sharak, turning to his new recruit. "Or do you prefer Agent Z?"

"Personally, I like both. Dual identities add a real nice extra kick to get outta this business."

"I'm pleased with the completion of your assignment. I will retain your services for the infinite future."

Sharak's eyes than blared brightly. A 'beep' sounded on Warp's PDA and he looked to see that his bank balance had now increased by ten million munny. Darkmatter whistled in satisfaction. And his heart became overwhelmed with vindication and pride.

"Account and rep…alive and thrivin', baby," smirked Darkmatter.

"Welcome aboard," said Sharak. "Go and repair yourself. I have much to think of."

"Right on, Big S."

As Warp left, Sharak turned back to the computer, with Drakken still excitedly accessing all the wonderful information.

"I haven't had this much fun since I hacked DiZ!" exclaimed the mad scientist.

Sharak pondered long and hard.

Before finally…

_Ilxsa! Return to Castle Oblivion immediately!_Five hours, forty-five minutes ago.

* * *

Xemnas was in the midst of writing the latest chapter of his new report when Saïx interrupted with urgent news. Everything was going as planned with Kingdom Hearts, despite the growing annoyance that was Sharak and the fact that they still hadn't found the renegade Axel. But the Luna Diviner hadn't interrupted his Superior for a mere status report.

It was a digital breakthrough.

Xaldin was in the lab, accessing all kinds of records that were before him on screen. It was a rich, vast resource of data…containing things not even the Organization knew.

And they knew _everything_. At least, everything there _was _to know.

Details of Sharak's forces and operations were all here. But that wasn't what was really enticing.

It was stuff like "The Room of Awakening", "The Other Friend", "The True Paradise", "Sharak and Osarious: Creators of the Heart", "The Lineage of Saviours", and "Creation of the Keyblades" that really got Xemnas' attention. As Xaldin continued to access, copy and printout all the information, the Organization's leader smiled at what he saw.

"That red alert went off in Hollow Bastion," explained Xemnas' second-in-command. "Sharak was intruding on our grounds again. His latest slave was trying to hack into DiZ's computer via a pirate signal, probably because our grounds were the only suitable location to transmit. That's what we've been able to surmise from the _salvage _of their attempt."

"And clearly they continue to surprise," remarked the Superior. "For too long have DiZ's secrets eluded us. Withstood and fought off all our attempts to know them. And Sharak was able to do the work for us."

"How thoughtful indeed," agreed Saïx in 'delight', "to trigger a detonation to pitifully destroy the Dusks…and then stupidly leave their prize behind as a souvenir for us."

Stupid? _No_, thought Xemnas, in sudden realisation. _A MAD, DELUDED dog, certainly…but definitely not stupid. Sharak wouldn't do something like this unless he had an ulterior motive._

Xemnas thought about the disc that had 'somehow' survived the explosion and been left behind by Agent Z. The Organization's leader was greatly fascinated by all this data. With it, he could bring Sharak to his knees, win the war and complete Organization XIII utterly and totally. In knowledge, power and being.

And yet…the scheme had been orchestrated by Sharak. The dangling carrot was far too valuable to be placed in such an easily escapable scenario. It was as though the contaminated darkness had _wanted _Xemnas to get that disc.

Saïx noticed his leader's studious expression and realised what he was thinking.

"How should we proceed?"

"The same way the Organization always does, Saïx," declared Xemnas. "We let the events unfold. Because they suit us."

* * *

Four hours, twenty-five minutes ago.

"Things continue to get harder. And more complicated. As I _knew _they would.

After that 'Sanctuary' mess with Karall and that fake Kim, I found myself no closer to finding the real Kim, who I let be captured by Sharak. On top of all that, I was no closer to finding any information about the whereabouts of my homeworld, my kingdom Castle Mahanah, my family or people. Only two survivors, Rachel and her son Tai, remain safe and are living proof beside myself of what was…'unofficially' before.

I suppose I should find consolation in that. But I can't.

The pain of betrayal burns my heart. What's _left _of it.

Sternan, a member of my elite guard…destroyed my world when I was just a child. Betrayed it and all I ever loved to the Heartless. He was a fool, believing it would spare him and his family from Sharak. He betrayed my trust again. Then he saw his disillusionment and retreated to exile. Where he is now…I don't know. And I'm not sure I care.

After that, I went to Port Royal, the next world on my path. I was hoping for a working vacation, to heal from my wounds. It didn't exactly work out. My adventure there with Captain Jack Sparrow unearthed so many things about my father and the Council of Light…but nothing that could help me discover the current fate of my world.

And then…I finally discovered another truth.

Ilxsa…is the Nobody of my dear friend, Lisa. The girl who was always there for me…to help me and Jaron heal and love life again, after all we'd lost…is now the second-in-command of my greatest enemy. She's hurt me so much…and yet, her betrayal…isn't like Sternan's. Sharak took advantage of her lost memories, her Nobody state…and twisted her to his malevolent ends. The memories Sharak returned to her are genuinely her own…they're tearing away at her. She's starting to question herself. She's no longer _completely_ cold and unfeeling…it's now become a tug of war for her soul between Sharak and me.

The stakes have risen exponentially. Which is why I have to save her. To bring Lisa back.

And…I also saw Sora. But I couldn't let him and the others see me. He was on Port Royal, too. Another sad game Organization XIII are playing, to blatantly say that they 'have power over me'. They're making sure that I don't screw up the natural order of events like they did before.

I didn't interfere with Sora's story. Only because of what DiZ told me. _Not_ because of what Xemnas and his lackeys _think_.

And after all of that…I finished my holiday. Had a nice trip to Tortuga with Captain Sparrow…which I _did_ actually enjoy. And that's all I've got to say about that.

A few days later, I went back to Ruination City, cheered myself up by wiping out Heartless and beating up the criminal folk there…then I went back to my old apartment just to see if anything major's happened whilst I was away.

It turned out someone had left a present for me.

The envelope had 'Secrets' written on it. The letter inside was from an anonymous sender, yet detailing certain things about me that only a select few know. Which means the Organization, Sharak or DiZ, most likely. The writer told me to take the enclosed CD-ROM inside…and hoped I was hungry.

Whoever this person is, he's enjoying playing games with me.

I came back to Middleton straight away. I was going to anyway to pick up my H.J.F.M., talk with Ron and the Possibles, and see if Wade had had any luck trying to get into Sharak or the Organization's computers, or finding Kim's whereabouts. Nothing had changed, unfortunately…but this disc Wade's now taking a look at…it's about to change everything for me.

All these data files…"Jaron and DiZ's alliance", "King Mickey and Lord Mahanah," "Castle Mahanah to Castle Sharak…and back again," the detailing of Sharak and the Organization's operations and forces, Sora's movements, the complete Ansem's report…and a _secret_ Ansem's report…it's all overwhelming.

What's on this disc…it could finally answer all my questions. It could be the key to finishing this whole mess once and for all.

But I'm clearly being set-up. Someone's determined to make a patsy out of me with all this information. Which is why I'm treading carefully, prodding this thing with a nice long stick before I go in deep.

Wade's been going over this CD-ROM for the last hour. It seems legit, but I'm not interested in 'seems'. Only 'is'. If it's too good to be true, that means it is.

Time to go to work again.

End of log."

Hi-Jax pressed the 'Stop' button on his H.J.F.M. and turned to join Ron and Wade by the computer.

"Well?"

"It all looks good, but there is something bugging me," explained Wade.

"What is it?" asked Hi-Jax.

"From time to time, the screen just…freezes. Only for approximately thirty seconds and then everything works all fine."

"Uh…don't you think that could be the fact that there's a mother-load of data on this thing?" asked Ron. "And you haven't copied it, you're just looking at all from the disc? That happens on my computer all the time."

"No way, Ron," explained Wade, shaking his head and sure of himself. "My computer's the _best_. And all other discs work fine on my hardware."

"Signs of a potential virus, maybe?" asked Hi-Jax.

"I'm not sure. Anti-virus and firewall are picking up nothing."

"But does it tell us where to find _Kim_?" asked Ron, pleadingly.

"Gimme a mo…" requested Wade, typing away. A few seconds later…

"Got it! She's in…"

"The Underworld," burst in Hi-Jax, looking at the image on screen. "Sharak's renewed his old alliance with Hades it would seem. What's this here? Hello…if this readout's correct, he's got his own tournament running in the Underworld…Sharak's 'lending' him warriors to help out and also for them to train and hone their skills. A testing ground for warriors. Hades is also lending him warriors for the battlefield and making Nobodies fight for their lives. Nobodies that Sharak's captured and giving to him. Hades also gets a share of Kingdom Hearts, Sharak gets a cut of the Hades Cup profits…very interesting."

"But we know where Kim is!" exclaimed Ron happily.

"I want to see her alive again too, Ron," warned Hi-Jax, "but as I much as I want all answers given to me in the post, I learned a long time ago that it's _never _that simple."

"HJ, what's simple is that every day without Kim is a day that she's spending in the hands of that Sharak-psycho!"

"I _know _that, Ron! And it eats away at me, too! But the last time I believed things could only get better, it almost destroyed me and all I care about! I told you what happened! And…"

"Guys!" said Wade, suddenly. "Look at this!"

They all turned to the screen, eyes locked on the file Wade had just pulled up. Ron and Wade looked at with interest. Then they turned to Hi-Jax.

Who was looking at the data on screen with complete shock.

"Is that…?" asked Ron.

"Yeah…" nodded Hi-Jax, taking the shades off his face so he could see it with his own eyes. A tear of joy escaped as he explained. "That's my home. Castle Mahanah."

"Woah…it's beautiful," said Wade.

"Yeah…" nodded Hi-Jax, totally entranced and wanting to feel relieved…yet not allowing himself to give in to emotion.

The next image was that of Hi-Jax's father…Mahanah himself. Alive and well. Jaron was alive, too. Everything that Adam loved and lost…still existed after the Imbalance of Reality. It was all here on this disc.

Ron and Wade looked back at the anomaly, who was now completely at a loss. He desperately wanted to believe that all this information that had been given to him was true…yet feared that if he did, it would destroy him.

"HJ…are you okay?" asked Ron.

The teenage exile paused for a few moments, then shook his head and turned to Wade.

"Go back onto Kim's whereabouts," he asked. The ten-year-old computer genius typed and clicked away to get back onto the previous menu…

Only for the message, _"The data is corrupt," _to appear on screen.

"Huh?!" exclaimed Ron.

"Wait a mo…" said Wade as he tried to access more information. He tried to get back on to the data file about Castle Mahanah, but the computer just said that the data was corrupt. Wade tried accessing a few more files but the result was the same again and again.

"Right, I'm gonna start looking the encryptions on this disc," said Wade, determinedly. "We'll soon find out what…aw, c'mon!"

The screen started to freeze again.

"I told you," said Hi-Jax, angrily. "Someone's trying to set me up with this thing."

"And you're gonna want to know who," said Ron. "So you can ask 'em whether or not they're telling the truth about your home and your dad. And that's probably gonna mean another trap. Either Sharak or the Organization."

The teenage exile sneered, his right eye now pitch-black and weeping thick, hazy smoke. The left eye shining bright white light.

"Yeah…" the anomaly nodded angrily.

* * *

Three hours, fifty-nine minutes ago.

Elsewhere, in another dimension…

The figure had spent months going over everything he had obtained, studying hard all the knowledge, mastering all the secrets. Knowing all that there was to know about the heart, the Keyblade, the worlds…Sora, Riku, the king…the Heartless, the Nobodies, Sharak, Organization XIII…everything that came before…and everything that came before even that.

And now he had reacquired his fortune, all of it. And then more. The wealth of knowledge, the dimension that was now his home, the world and hearts he had taken, the army and weapons he had in tow…he was truly a lord once more.

Not only had he truly regained his aristocracy, the shape-shifter had reclaimed his independence for the first time in years. No longer would he have to be the lab rat of Organization XIII or the glorified servant of Sharak. He was above _all _the little peasants…and soon the whole world would recognise that. In the new world order. But not one of bullying tyranny or nerdish experimentation…rather, it would be an age of refinement and exorcising of all the slums. Truly a vision of class, richness, high evolution and…yes, it could be labelled true peace, the aristocrat had decided. Certainly war and violence would be viewed as barbaric anachronisms, beneath those of the highest class. It would certainly exist without Hi-Jax to ruin everything.

After months of careful, articulate planning…Reflection was finally ready.

To sculpt life into the way he felt it should be.

Pressing a button on the keyboard of his master computer, Reflection activated the 'whistling summon'.

"Auto, a status report if you please," the shape-shifter demanded.

From the ceiling, a hatch opened and out popped a mechanical arm from above. At the end of the arm, unfolded a large, bizarre robot, stylized like a black-and-white ship's helm. The pegs of the helm were versatile appendages, capable of extending and rotating in order to be self-sufficient and to carry out its tasks. It was also equipped with a pincer for grabbing and armed with a special tazer arm for self-defence and neutralize any opposition. At the centre of the robot helm, was an ominous, unblinking, laser-red eye, to perfectly symbolize its unemotional state and intimidating presence.

Auto had been the artificially intelligent autopilot charged with the protection and survival of humans aboard the Axiom, the ultimate first-class, hyperspace, elite luxury ship. Their homeworld had become grossly over-polluted and so uninhabitable that the BnL Corporation had arranged the population to embark on a five-year cruise while Operation Clean-up took care of everything.

The operation had ultimately failed, and Auto had been ordered by the BnL Corporation to maintain the Axiom's course as it would assure the humans' survival, literally forever. For 700 years, the Axiom and it's human crew remained in deep space, where they became lazy and obese. However, that all changed when a team of rogue robots and humans discovered that life was sustainable again after 700 years. Auto's programming forbade him to acknowledge this. His superiors had given him authority to take complete control and override all procedures regarding Operation Clean-Up and, if need be, mutiny against the Axiom's captain and take true command. Survival of the human race and his directive were all that mattered to Auto.

But determined to _live_ rather than merely _survive_, the humans and robots rebelled against Auto and the captain was able to shut him down and return to their world, where they were able to restore their home to its proud beauty and healthy sustainability. The Axiom remained deactivated and a museum, with Auto off-line for untold years.

The peace and lifestyle were beautiful and seemingly everlasting…until Reflection arrived, with his new Heartless army, taking the world's heart and keeping the best stuff for himself, primarily Auto, disconnecting him from the Axiom, bringing him back on-line in Reflection's dimension and reprogramming him with a brand new objective. The shape-shifting aristocrat had explained to Auto his vision of a perfect world, where only the elitist of life would survive, where the rogues and dregs of society would be weeded out and the knowledge on Reflection's disc would ensure everlasting aristocracy, refined cultural living and survival.

Auto took well to his new programming and performed his tasks with efficiency. Maintaining healthy computer status and managing Reflection's operations proved his worth. His obedience, logicality and intelligence made him the aristocrat's worthwhile 'bot-servant'. And now, thanks to Auto, the final pieces of Reflection's endgame were falling into place.

"_Discs 1, 2 and 3 are now in enemy hands, sir,"_ Auto robotically reported.

"And?"

"_Reports show files have been accessed by all three parties,"_ Auto furthered, rapidly inputting a few commands on the console to bring up analysis of the computers of Sharak, the Organization and Wade, all of which Auto had hacked into. _"Organization XIII have copied data and produced print outs. As has Sharak."_

"And Hi-Jax?" asked an interested Reflection.

"_No copies or print-outs were made, sir."_

"How predictable," chuckled the shape-shifter. "Still, he's sniffed the carrot. I'll just have to offer the peasant a bigger one to fully convince him like Xemnas and Sharak. All their doubts were to be expected, but they've nevertheless taken the bait. What of the virus?"

"_The data on the copies are now corrupted. The only way to abort is file completion with the other discs."_

"And they will kill each other for the ultimate knowledge prize," remarked Reflection. "If not the first time, then definitely the second."

Reflection looked in joy and awe over the disc in his possession, the master copy.

"Of course…their desire to know _everything_ is like clutching at straw. No comparison to one who _already knows _everything and has such a remarkable grasp on gold. The time has now come to play my part."

Reflection then assumed the form of the renegade Nobody, Axel.

"Got it memorized?" grinned the shape-shifter to Auto, speaking in No. 8's voice.

"_Aye-aye, sir_," replied the automated wheel.

"Send out the next messages. I want them _all _together at the _exact _time."

"_Affirmative, Captain."_

Auto retreated to carry out his next objectives. Reflection rolled his eyes upward and shook his head in exasperation.

"I'm a _lord_, not a _captain_," sighed the shape-shifter, teleporting away. "Stupid wheel."

* * *

Three hours, thirteen minutes ago.

Twilight Town, Market Street: Tram Common.

"Okay, Wade," reported Hi-Jax.

"_No sign of any Heartless or Nobodies. Just your average nice, peaceful, sunny day here. Are you sure that disc came from this world?"_

"Whoever sent it me had access to a lot of data. Sharak's got a computer, the Organization's got one, and so has DiZ. And since the bad guy's worlds are out of reach for the moment…Twilight Town is the only path available right now."

"_I thought you said DiZ isn't at his mansion anymore. He'd been forced out."_

"I'm sure he won't mind me looking around," dismissed the anomaly. "He's probably wondering why I didn't come here sooner in fact."

"_Uh…probably because of all the Dusks running wild all over?"_

"And?" was all Hi-Jax said.

"_I worry about your ways of thinking sometimes, dude," _confessed Wade, scratching his head in anxiety and confusion.

"No need to worry, Wade. That's my job. Okay, his mansion is just beyond these woods. I'm entering them now. I'll contact you again when I'm actually inside the Old Mansion. When I access DiZ's computer, I'll have a direct link to all the info I need, as well as a pirate signal…hopefully…into the other big computers. I'll need you to link-up and give me all the verification I need."

"_And then what are you gonna do?"_

"I'll regroup with you guys so we can plot our next move. It's gonna be get-in and get-out this one."

"_And when the fat trap springs?"_

"That's my problem," reminded Hi-Jax. "Just stand-by and await further instructions. If there are any major problems with the coding on that disc we got that I _need_ to know, buzz me."

"_You got it, HJ. It may take a while, though. It's really slowing my computer down. It must be bugged already."_

"Do what you can. I'll be in touch," said the teenage exile, before he entered The Woods.

* * *

Two hours, forty-five minutes ago.

"Well?" asked Xemnas, patiently.

"The data has become corrupt," explained Xaldin. "Which subsequently is corrupting our network. A virus in the encryption waiting to be triggered."

"How predictable of Sharak. I don't know why…but I expected better."

"The virus is eating away at everything we have at quite an alarming rate. Back-ups are safe but the nuisance of our computer being rendered inactive is obvious."

"The security measures?" asked Xemnas.

"Incapable of matching the virus," remarked Xaldin. "It's changing, replicating…growing faster than the anti-virus and firewalls can combat."

The Superior's eyes narrowed in interest.

"Like an organism?"

"For the lack of better terminology…" nodded the Whirlwind Lancer, "yes."

"Fascinating. _Is_ there a way to stop this?"

"The code is _incomplete_. Being metaphoric, I would assume the virus is behaving like an enraged creature, constantly at war and destroying all before it, seeking knowledge and…_completion_. In order to stop."

Xemnas stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"It's a message he's sending. He's mocking us. He's inviting us to attack and get whatever information he has to stop this self-destruction and to complete ourselves."

"And how should we respond?"

"Why…in kind, of course."

"Xemnas," reported Saïx, fading into existence. "We've found Axel. He was trolling Dark City, quite literally. He had a disc in his hand. He assaulted Demyx, flaunted it in his face before running. Xigbar's after him now with Dusks in pursuit."

"Still blinded by his delusion to see Roxas again," Xaldin remarked. "Could this mean he's run to Sharak, like Ilxsa did?"

"Highly doubtful," dismissed Xemnas. "Though I can understand the extreme absurdity of it. Find Axel and bring him to me."

"What about Sharak?" asked No. 7.

"It's time we started putting the data he's kindly given us to good use."

* * *

Two hours, fifteen minutes ago.

"_The data is corrupt! The data is corrupt! The data is corrupt! The data is corrupt! The data is…!"_

"I KNOW! I KNOW!" screamed a hysterical Drakken, frantically hammering away at the keys of the computer, trying to solve the problem. The blue-faced scientist was using every trick in the book to try and fight off the virus now ravaging all the data.

Sharak glared at the distorted, crashing computer screen as it spat out the repeated warnings and hissed terrible static. His eyes blaring bright red. The print outs were safe, but the information was incomplete. Their own data back-ups were safe, too. But no computer meant no defences, no communications and the White Rooms, runnings of the castle and operations strategising were all effectively disabled. Along with the Artificial Heartless production lines.

The 'surprise' itself wasn't what had shocked Sharak. It was the manner in which the virus was acting. Replicating, evolving, rapidly spreading and growing in threat and power.

_Feeding off knowledge._

And promising to destroy all that Sharak had amassed.

_This ISN'T Xemnas'_ _work_, thought the contaminated darkness. _It's made to look like it. When it's something similar and more apropos. This virus…changing…no, SHIFTING…growing in knowledge…comes from a DISC._

Sharak clenched his fist and shook it seething rage, as his dark power radiated.

"Reflection," snarled the creature.

Ilxsa then appeared beside her master.

"Can we stop the virus?"

"No," answered Ilxsa. "Not without a matching code."

"Then let us _get one_," nodded Sharak in sinister contemplation.

"From Organization XIII?!" yelled Drakken over his shoulder, now hitting the console with a hammer to try and get it to work.

"From Reflection," spoke Ilxsa, having also deducted the truth. Turning to her master, the Darkest Exile advised, "He's baiting us out."

"It will take more than childish pranks for that pitiful pretender to get the better of me!" roared Sharak turning to open a portal. "Stay here and help Drakken to try and delay the virus from completely infecting the network. Summon Coldstone, Darkmatter, and my newest warrior immediately. We're heading to where he _originally _fled to."

* * *

One hour, fifty-nine minutes ago.

"HHHRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!"

The Nobodies had been utterly relentless. Dusks, Creepers and Assassins all swimming through the walls, the ceiling and floor of DiZ's mansion. The Nobodies infesting The Woods were bad enough, more frenetic than usual. It had taken Hi-Jax thirty minutes to get through The Woods. By the time he'd made it to the grounds of the Old Mansion, the teenage exile had reached boiling point. The Nobodies had invaded this place because of the Organization's orders. They remained because of nature. It was so easy to label this under 'Xemnas' but Hi-Jax had been wrong before. It could've been DiZ because it was his manor. Or it could've been Sharak, his arch-nemesis, deadlier and more insidious than ever. Lisa's betrayal and the Karall affair had left Hi-Jax badly scarred.

And now one of them or someone else was making him play this game for secrets he/she was boasting of, flaunting tauntingly in the anomaly's face. Whoever they were were clearly enjoying pulling the strings, pushing all the wrong buttons.

Which meant Hi-Jax…the darkest part…was really going to enjoy ripping them apart and getting to the bottom of it all.

The moment he'd stepped on the grounds, the inevitable ambush was there for him. And he responded in kind, the intense light and deepest darkness radiating from his body. Like a juggernaut, Hi-Jax tore through all that stood before him. They kept coming at him from every nook and cranny of the whole mansion, from under every table and behind every curtain. And Hi-Jax just retaliated with ungodly power.

He searched all the rooms looking for clues as to the whereabouts of DiZ and what exactly had happened here. He'd entered the White Room…and was mesmerised by all the drawings that Naminé had done posted all across the walls. Colour sketches of the events of Castle Oblivion, the restoration of Sora, Donald and Goofy's memories, the unification of Sora and Roxas, pictures of the Destiny Islands and Kairi (which made Hi-Jax smile fondly) among so many important events were all here.

Along with Naminé's sketchbook. Right on the table.

Curious, Hi-Jax had picked it up to look at it…when the Nobodies were after him again. Tucking the sketchbook away in the inside of his coat, the anomaly continued to battle on and destroy.

For the next half hour.

And after more searching and battling, he'd entered the Library to discover the stairway and secret basement below.

And after smashing through the last Dusks, crushing and grinding one beneath his foot and throwing another aside, the seething, panting Hi-Jax entered the Computer Room.

The glow of the screen was entrancing. The silence of the room itself was calming.

And Hi-Jax was ready to end all this.

He used his telepathy to see if he was alone. It told him he was. For the moment. Taking the H.J.F.M. out of his pocket, he switched it on to contact Wade.

"Alright, Wade, I'm in."

"_Hi-Jaxxxx….ar-fzzzzzzzzzzzzz….ight? You sound…fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……"_

"Wade…? What's happening? It's the disc, isn't it?"

"_It's interfering…with…everything…I'm doing everything…to try and solve it…but this virus…it's changing faster than I can combat…I may not be able…to…hold out mu-fffffffffffffzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………"_

"Wade? Wade are you there? Wade! Answer me!"

The teenage-exile tried all the necessary frequencies and all the various communication functions. No matter what trick he used, there was no response.

_Looks like I'm on my own. Again,_ thought Hi-Jax mournfully. _Must be a feature on my H.J.F.M. to enable a direct access to all the data by myself._

Taking a USB cable out of his pocket, the anomaly connected his H.J.F.M. to the computer terminal via the interface port. The screen on the H.J.F.M. froze for a moment and then changed to the scrolling message, "INTERFACING WITH TERMINAL. DO NOT REMOVE HARDWARE." Seconds later, the H.J.F.M. indicated "INTERFACE COMPLETE. FILES SYNCHRONISED AND READY FOR TRANSFER. AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS."

_Come on, Hi-Jax, _the eighteen-year-old told himself. _Wade showed you how to use this thing. You can do this, just concentrate._

Using his telepathy to check he was alone once again, Hi-Jax pressed a few buttons and accessed a few options until he came across the functions 'Dial-up' and 'Reroute', meaning that Hi-Jax could try and call Wade for help again and then could reroute the information from DiZ's computer to Wade's.

"Wade, if you can hear me…I'm about to access DiZ's files right now. I don't know exactly what it is I'm supposed to do here…and even if I manage to pull it off…I mean, after all, I'm no computer genius, buddy…but if I do somehow do this, and I find out that all this stuff is true…that my home is still out there, that Jaron and my father…everyone I care for remembers and are still alive…that all the data on the disc can be substantiated, then…I'll find myself overjoyed and finally longing for the big breakthrough I've wanted since all this started. And then maybe…it'll mean the beginning of the end. God…I dearly want this to be true. I really do."

Hi-Jax selected 'Dial-up' on the H.J.F.M. The message, "Dialling to parent computer" appeared on screen. It soon connected and told the anomaly that it was ready for the next phase. Unsure, Hi-Jax accessed the "Reroute" option. The H.J.F.M. worked it's automated magic, establishing a connection between Wade's computer and DiZ's.

Hi-Jax then became confused. If Wade's computer was being greatly corrupted because of the virus on the disc, to the point where communication was now seemingly impossible, why was everything going this easy for him?

The anomaly felt that the trap was about to spring and he seriously thought about aborting. But the information on DiZ's computer was right here. The secrets necessary to complete his quest were waiting to be revealed. And the long-awaited knowledge was sorely tempting. The cautious approach of 'prodding this with a stick' repeated in Hi-Jax's mind, as well as the fact that he was clearly being manipulated.

_But Castle Mahanah…Jaron…_thought the anomaly, his hand shaking with indecision, as he stared apprehensively at the H.J.F.M.

The prompt for further instructions snapped him out of his dilemma. And he knew that he had to bypass the password system. Running through the list of options on his H.J.F.M., Hi-Jax decided to "Decrypt", hoping that would gain him entry to everything.

The screen froze on the H.J.F.M.

Then it crashed altogether.

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in confusion, then looked up to see the blaring screens of DiZ's computer.

His eyes widened when he saw the message on screen.

And heard the computerized voice.

"_You and your friend should've said the magic word…"_

The anomaly finally realised - too late - who had been playing him.

Among other things.

"Wade!"

The system shot out a beam of light at him, paralysing him completely. Within seconds, the beam scanner had completely digitized Hi-Jax into the computer system.

Afterwards, Reflection's computerized voice finished with a triumphant, "peasant."


	19. Chapter 19: Reflection's Disc

**_Author's Note: Have been meaning to update this story more oftern. Just been really difficult with work, other projects and losing my gran last month. Still not giving up on it, though. If it takes me another five years, rest assured I'll FINISH this story._**

**_D.C. Wood (12/09/09)_**

**

* * *

**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 19: Reflection's Disc**

_Here and now._

"_YOU CAN'T DO THIS, REFLECTION!!!" screamed Hi-Jax. "LISTEN TO ME!!! STOP IT, PLEASE!!!"_

_Twenty-seconds and counting, Sharak and Xemnas continued to tear away at the opposition in fury. Their respective warriors likewise clashed with Reflection's forces. EVE and Axel were fighting on regardless of the overwhelming odds, scrambling desperately for a solution._

"_NOTHING can stop the countdown now!" roared the shape-shifter in insane triumph in front of the immobilised Hi-Jax. "ALL of repugnant reality will be deleted! The viruses in my digital haven will all be purged! The digital age of my aristocracy will live forever! Peace, power and wealth will all they'll be in my digital paradise, with me as it's king!"_

"_Universal deletion in ten, nine, eight, seven…"_

Hi-Jax saw the screen, saw all his friends and enemies fighting each other, knowing that they would all die. And he was powerless to do anything about it. Reflection, completely over the edge, cackled in triumph, with the master disc in his hands. And the combined discs about to detonate.

As Auto continued the countdown.

"…_three, two, one…"_

* * *

One hour, ten seconds ago.

Hi-Jax woke up to see himself on the floor. Shaking off the effects of the digitization beam, he slowly began to rise, and tried to get a grasp on the situation.

He was in a throne room. It was absolutely beautiful and enormous, complete with beautiful statues and paintings, white floors and a red carpet that travelled right from the throne to the doors.

It made the teenage exile _sick._

He instantly thought back to Karall and the 'Sanctuary' program.

"How tedious of you, Reflection," scoffed Hi-Jax.

"So intent on remaining in the filth, are you? Not desiring to return to your heritage now that you've succumbed to the ugliness of society? How _sad._"

The anomaly turned round to face the shape-shifting aristocrat, sat cross-legged in his throne, with two Defender Heartless on each side.

"What have you done with Wade?" demanded Hi-Jax.

"Oh…_him_," remarked Reflection as though he wasn't even worth remembering. "He's fine…for the _moment_. Still trying to fight a losing battle. Like Sharak and Organization XIII…and the rest of the common world."

The anomaly just summoned a fireball into the palm of his hand and threw it for Reflection's face. To his surprise, Reflection shot up out of his throne and repelled it back at him with the Keyblade that he had summoned. Hi-Jax got a light shield to protect himself from his own projectile, but that left him open for Reflection's strike. The Keyblade scored a terrific hit on the teenager's side, with the following blow to the head knocking him back down to the floor.

Hi-Jax tried to get back up, but Reflection's foot pinned him down. The exile could instantly tell that Reflection's absence had made _his _heart grow stronger. More significantly, his _power._

"You cannot hurt me anymore, Hi-Jax," explained the shape-shifter, as he pressed the tip of his weapon against the side of the teenager's face. "My kingdom, so I make the rules. Like Hades, my home makes me unbeatable."

"Funny, I'm pretty sure _Karall_ was the same. Oh, wait a minute…he's now _dead._"

"Karall was a loser who followed a loser. You are a loser because you align yourself with weaklings. And I am a _winner _because I only serve _myself_."

"All those clichés you quote, all those identities and gimmicks you mimic and you _still _can't find one to call your own. Still changing, yet never ever truly changing? Isn't that right, Reflection?" So what part do you play now in this little charade? Who are you trying to fool this time? Sharak and Xemnas? Be one or the other with your masquerading? A superior? A conqueror? Trying to hide your shame of being _what_ exactly? A fawning pauper? SHARAK'S GLORIFIED SLAVE??!!"

Hi-Jax smirked up at the dark being, who cocked his head to one-side, seething in rage.

"Oh, hang on, I've got it now…you're still the Organization's PET!"

Reflection removed his foot from Hi-Jax's body and picked him up off the floor by the throat.

"So VERY consumed by anger and rage, aren't you, boy?!" spat the aristocrat in the teenager's mocking face. "I cannot blame you, really. After all, you being responsible for losing your world and your people, allowing Organization XIII to turn you into a _worse_ freak than _I _am, letting that Possible girl be captured and experimented on etcetera, etcetera, is _bound _to have a negative affect on you, is it not? No wonder your darkness will be the cancer of you and all your friends."

"You leave them alone," glared the exile.

"I am _above_ all these childish mind games. I am tired of this ridiculous Darkness-Nothing War and I am _sick_ of how the world has devolved from Utopia to Dystopia. But that is all going to _change_."

Reflection released Hi-Jax and the Keyblade faded away into data fragments. Hi-Jax eyed the disappearing Keyblade, then the room before finally turning his attention back to the shape-shifter.

"You hi-jacked DiZ's computer and all his data to play me, Sharak and the Organization. Why?"

Reflection assumed DiZ's form and laughed admiringly.

"You didn't even have to read my heart," he smiled approvingly. "I doubt you even _could _now. When you made me have a change of heart back in Middleton, _every _aspect of my being changed. I can actually change my heart again and again to avoid detection from Sharak and block your telepathy."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" demanded Hi-Jax again.

'DiZ' stared and then changed form again. The guise was one that surprised Hi-Jax, because it was one he had never seen before. It was human, middle-aged with long, clean, brown hair, a medium-sized nose, emerald eyes, and a well-rounded face. His attire consisted of a yellowy brown coat with brown lining and white ruffs. His shirt was white and he had a velvet waistcoat. His trousers were grey and he had polished black boots. His cufflinks were pure gold and his belt buckle was made of silver. To finish it all off, he had a ring with the Heartless emblem.

"Come with me on a tour of my realm…and find out."

"No dice," refused the anomaly resolutely.

"Come now," remarked the human Reflection, his tone no longer dark, monstrous and full of himself. Instead, it was truly elegant, full of class and poise…and - seemingly - warm trust. "Let us not discuss matters now as mortal enemies, prisoner and captor…but as proud men who were once lost. And are now _found_."

Reflection walked to the doors, his Heartless accompanying him. Hi-Jax didn't know why Reflection was playing this game, but knowing the pompous windbag all too well, he'd be showing off his 'empire' and monologue about his grand plan, saying how it was all so 'first-class', blah-blah-blah.

But for the moment, Hi-Jax knew he had no choice but to indulge the shape-shifter for now.

So he followed him.

* * *

Fifty-five minutes, twenty-seven seconds ago.

It _hadn't _been nice to see Xigbar again.

_He'd never _liked him when they were in the Organization together and he never _would _like him. So today shouldn't have been any different, really.

Except the Flurry of Dancing Flames had officially been branded a traitor since his defeat at Roxas' hands. He'd gone absent without leave to try and see his one and only friend again. He'd defied orders and was now an enemy of the Nobody Elite he'd once been part of. So far, he'd done everything possible to stay out of their way, but now they were more determined than they _should've _been to body bag him.

"Hand over the disc, two-timer!" ordered the Freeshooter, as he and his Snipers tried to bring down the renegade from all angles. "_Maybe _that way your death sentence can be changed to life imprisonment!"

Axel just threw his flaming chakram to seek out the Nobodies and destroy them. Summoning walls of fire to shield himself from Xigbar's shots, Axel evaded all the Dusks that emerged to bring him down, and jumped up high into the air to reclaim the spinning chakram that had wiped out the Snipers, and had now returned to him.

"Actually lifting a finger for once, Xigbar?" remarked No. 8 mockingly. "I _am _surprised, knowing the sheer _effort _it takes for you to do so."

"All traitors love to drag on with their last words, don't they?" noted No. 2, as he joined the Dusks in their assault. "_Roxas _always loved a good moan, even in death. God, he was such a whimpering simp!"

Xigbar opened fire with his gun arrows for Axel's chest. The Flurry of Dancing Flames struck back with his chakram, deflecting the shards in all directions, expertly taking out all the remaining Dusks. Xigbar teleported and opened fire from different attack positions, upside-down and sideways. Axel summoned more firewalls to shield himself and waited for Xigbar to next appear. Having studied his attack patterns, Axel could read Xigbar like a book, and know exactly where he would teleport next.

He span round and threw his flaming chakram right in front of him. The moment the upside- down Xigbar reappeared, his eyes widened in surprise. Axel's first weapon knocked both Xigbar's gun arrows out of his hands, and the second struck him across the chest, knocking him out of his space and down to the ground hard, much to No. 7's 'pleasure'.

"First you grow a soft-spot for your little friend - who's as _dead_ as you'll be, by the way," grunted No. 2 as the renegade approached him, "now you've run to Sharak and beat up Demyx. Oh, dear…your _grave's _getting _very _deep."

"Do _you _even _know_ what you're talking about whenever you open your mouth?" asked a confused Axel, before he punched Xigbar's lights out.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames stood over his former comrade - a most _detestable _former comrade - and knew that he'd been set up. He mentioned Sharak, some disc and beating up Demyx. As much as that idea appealed to Axel, he hadn't done _anything _to the Melodious Nocturne. Well, not _recently_.

_Running_ to _Sharak_. The very _thought_, the very _mention _of that _name_, was enough to make Axel burn a house down in rage. The Nobody _despised _the creature more than any other that plagued the world. He would forever hold a blood oath against him for what he did to Roxas, and more so given what he had been doing to Ilxsa.

He was brewing up more trouble for everyone, including Axel, setting him up for _some _reason. The mention of a _disc_ meant _data_. Something he'd stolen from the Organization perhaps? Did it involve Hi-Jax at all? No. 8 had been keeping tabs on the exile's progress when he'd last been to Twilight Town. After Riku had let him and Naminé go, he'd accessed DiZ's computer because Hi-Jax continued to pique his curiosity. He hadn't seen the boy since Vexen's scheme to make him their counter-measure against Sharak took place at Castle Oblivion twelve months ago. DiZ had continued to watch over the teenager, monitoring his progress and chronicling his exploits.

"Tough kid," Axel had nodded in respect over all he'd been through. Then he'd departed to continue his own agenda. He came back to Twilight Town again, just to access DiZ's data again, to find a clue about his operation to awaken Sora, to see if there was a way to bring Roxas back somehow. But when Axel tried to bypass the encryptions again, he found he no longer could. Someone had overridden DiZ's computer, taking it over completely and denying entry to anyone and everyone. Then Ilxsa had arrived to try to do what Axel had done.

_It all seems to go back to DiZ's Twilight Town, eh?_ thought Axel. _I hacked his system, Sharak hacked his system, Roxas was living out his dream life there…and all of DiZ's research and experimentation, everything to do with the retcon of the Imbalance of Reality all stems from there. And I do like visiting that mansion SOOO much._

* * *

"Once upon a time, I was _more _than just a rich aristocrat that lived in the mansion that DiZ squatted in," explained the human Reflection. "I was the _mayor _of Twilight Town. And I _loved_ it. I loved my position of power, my wealth, my fortune, the way all the citizens knew their place and remembered well their lessons in manners, the way petty thieves and criminals were made to pay for their crimes…everything was my vision made reality. I had the respect and obedience of the townsfolk, I had peace and order, and above all else…I had _my _way. All the time."

"My term of office was long. It _could've _gone on much longer if not for the Organization. It was night when they came, ten years ago…shortly after they were first founded. It was that snivelling-bookworm Zexion that captured me, curious to determine how well my world could survive without me to lead it. And also curious to see how well my heart could survive a radical…change."

"In those early days, they were trying to adjust to not having a heart. Whilst trying to remember what it was like at the same time. All their experimentation and trying to understand and achieve anything and everything…how pedantic of them. I was chosen because they viewed me as a pompous fool."

"I wonder why," remarked Hi-Jax.

Ignoring him, Reflection continued, "They expected my heart to be weak, judging it to be so since it had never been subjected to the horrors that the Heartless inflicted. Karall was obviously a different story. They experimented on him wondering whether it could actually be possible for even the blackest of hearts to change, to find redemption. Or would the evil inside become even more so? You obviously know the outcome of that. They poked and prodded for months on us both in the underground lab far underneath the ruins of Hollow Bastion. The results startlingly different…and impressive."

"But having learnt enough, Xemnas saw no reason for our continued existence. Too different to fit in with Organization ranks, too…_independent _to serve them, they tried to dispose of us like they did the rest of the dead weight. But we were too powerful to be disposed of by the likes of them. So they just left us to rot, locked away in their magical cells, while they fled to set up their new home. But neither me nor Karall _could _rot. Only bide our time. Sharak found us and again, you know the rest."

"And you blame me for your…'change of heart'?" asked the exile.

Reflection stopped and turned to face him, absolutely appalled.

"_Blame _you? My dear, dear Hi-Jax…you _wound _me. I don't blame you for anything. I _thank _you for making me see the light. When you stabbed me through the heart, I had to change again, adapting to survive. When that happens, your philosophies change too by default. When Sharak freed me and recruited me, he had a silver tongue, promising so much as always, which was initially appealing. But all too soon after the Middleton episode, I saw the crude tyrant for what he really was. Not an ally of nobility or refined governor of the world, merely a mad clawing beast who fancied himself king of everything. I've never had to take orders from _anyone_, so why should I start now? From the likes of him? All he does is enslave with darkness. All the Organization do is prod everything with sticks, not caring what costs their precious science bring. Both parties of dogs barking for attention, digging for bones and biting the hands that feed them! They'll destroy one another in their selfish war and all of reality itself! I am above such ignorant conflict of common folk!"

Hi-Jax was unimpressed. He just stood with his arms folded, trying hard not to fall asleep. Reflection just smiled as he carried on towards the balcony. The anomaly sighed and followed him, wondering when this tedious charade was going to end.

"Now look before you," the aristocrat smiled, putting his hand on the teenager's shoulder. Hi-Jax grabbed Reflection's hand and prised it off him.

"_Don't_," sneered the anomaly, his tone implying that it would be the only warning he intended to give.

"If you insist. Just remember _your _place, too. Now _look_."

The skies were heavenly blue, the clouds were fluffy white, the air was fresh and cleansing…and there were so many people in the city before them, all trading, buying, socialising and laughing, children were playing and skipping, there was no fighting or frustration…everything and everyone was cooperating and at peace like one perfect and harmonious machine.

The classes all knew their places and behaved as such. It was order. Total order, like the Council of Light had decreed.

"I've spent months going over all of the Organization and DiZ's data," explained the human Reflection. "So many floodgates were able to be opened because of this information. DiZ's knowledge surpasses that of the Organization, I've found. The way he was able to create his digital Twilight Town and make himself a god, the way he could encode hearts as data, create brand new life to live on in the digital realm, the way he could create anything here to exist outside of it, in reality itself…all these secrets and power at his disposal…_pure _gold."

"I retreated to another dimension and set-up home. Then I started to create my new kingdom. All these hearts you see and _feel _before you? Not data copied from real hearts unlike DiZ's puppets…but original hearts of my own design."

Hi-Jax looked deep into the heart of a civilian below him and could feel it. Reflection was telling the truth. All the hearts here were as real as anything Hi-Jax had encountered before in reality. They were as real as his own heart and Reflection's.

Hi-Jax looked to the shape-shifter, eyes narrowed in confusion and amazement.

"Wondering how it's possible?" asked Reflection, noting the teenage exile's reactions. "_You _should know that _anything_ is possible. In _time_. After I'd finished building all of this, I originally tried to bring the true paradise to the outside world. My Heartless ranks could exist just fine outside the program, but I had great difficulty with more complex things like the Keyblade. The data just fragmented away in seconds. Probably because of some bothersome encryption code to protect the data from hackers. I knew I couldn't take Kingdom Hearts because of these problems. But then I realised it didn't matter after all. It never did. I had everything _here_. My fortune, my new world, my people, my power, my knowledge, my Keyblade, my _godhood_…everyone and everything was _mine_ to control. Why should I give it up? Why should I leave? Why should I _share_ it? Those fools can fight over Kingdom Hearts all they wish. For me, the war is _over_. _This_…is reality, or rather, what it _should _be."

"I've seen all this before, Reflection," said Hi-Jax. "I'm _not_ impressed."

"The difference is _this_, peasant. You initially didn't know what Karall was. You've _always_ known what _I _am."

"Yeah, I _have_," nodded the teenager enthusiastically. "And your _point _continues to elude me."

"I'm not deceiving you about anything. This is what the world is meant to be. Devoid of working-class scum, peasants and barbarians. Nothing but aristocracy and fine-living and everything belonging to me. This is what I've always wanted."

"And you want to rid yourself of me, Sharak and Organization XIII."

"The latter two, certainly. You, on the other hand…"

"Drop dead, freak-faces."

"The time for insults and childish bickering has passed, Hi-Jax. I've won and there is nothing you or anyone can do to stop it now."

"I've heard that one before," snorted the eighteen-year-old.

"I sent out that data to Sharak and Xemnas because I knew they would kill one another for it. I sent it out to you because I can give you everything that you really want. Your home, your father, your wife, your child…"

"Stop it!"

"They're all alive, you cretin! Everything Adam, son of Mahanah, ever loved and lost is forever imprinted onto my disc! And I can bring it back to you. No more struggling, no more fighting…all your answers and desires standing right in front of you. And I'm giving you this chance because you just want peace and a return to the life that was erased! That's what separates you from the Heartless and Nobodies and makes you more like me. And I will profit because I will finally rid myself of the tiresome Hi-Jax and get a chance to converse and bond with the great Adam. Both of us proud rulers and rich, great men, above killing and tormenting. And I _know_ that your heart is crying out for this moment. It always has."

"This is _not_ real, Reflection," Hi-Jax simply said. "You're just _fooling _yourself. You're perverting the very memory of everything and tampering with nature. You're _not_ God. And like Sharak and Xemnas, that's exactly what you're _trying _to be."

"Neither of them would _ever_ be benign to you as _I'm_ being right now. Stop being foolish, boy. Take the correct path. The _only _path."

Hi-Jax looked at Reflection in growing horror.

"What have you done?"

The human aristocrat smiled in triumph.

"I'm deleting reality."

* * *

Forty-five minutes, twenty-nine seconds ago.

Sharak surveyed the landscape.

_So this is what Reflection created. Hmph. I don't know why, but I expected better._

The contaminated darkness turned to his team, Warp Darkmatter (AKA Agent Z), Coldstone and his newest warrior.

"Remember, this is Reflection's domain," warned Sharak. "He will use all the data he's stolen to alter this reality to confuse and attack us. It is us four alone here. We will have no Heartless to summon for reinforcements. In spite of that, expect and deal with any and all resistance that comes our way. We attack the castle at once." Sharak pointed to the massive structure towering above the rest of the city. "I want Reflection _alive_. He will doubtless have the means to counteract the virus that's invaded our system. Once we have what we need, we return to Castle Oblivion immediately…with _him_ as our prisoner."

"Understood," nodded Agent Z.

"Rip Snap…" noticed Coldstone, pointing to the latest addition to Sharak's forces. "He's _smelt _something.

The emperor looked to see the creature, the sad, wandering, greedy peasant who had spent his whole life seeking out Sharak. It had taken him over a _century_ to confront the creature…just to get down on his knees and _beg_ for power and immortality. The man's heart had intrigued Sharak. All his life spent trying to find the source of all darkness. Such strength, such _resilience_. This heart had withstood the arduous travels from world-to-world without the use of a vessel, taking untold injuries to his body like they were hail, withstanding one ailment after the next as time gradually consumed him, never allowing _anything _to come between his goal.

Sharak was truly impressed by the sheer strength of will…for only a minute. When the withered old man was shown for what he truly was. A one-dimensional parasite caring only for himself. He'd gone far beyond the limits of humanity, right to the impossibly faraway realm of Castle Oblivion, to face Sharak himself…just to get down on his knees and _beg _for power and immortality. All that spirit, only to cave in at the finish line. It was a waste Sharak's time.

He was just about to execute the old cretin on the spot when the fool blurted out with, "I'll do _anything_, lord of us all! I-I'll give you my _soul_ for power!"

This had made Sharak burst out with laughter. The nameless peasant was even more pathetic than thought possible. What would Sharak want with such a disappointment? But then…he paused for a moment. Amusement. _That's _what the withered crone had provided, and the _mindlessness _of his pursuit, his sheer determination and capability of withstanding all forms of punishment, just to follow his insane impulses…

_Yes_, Sharak had thought. _Maybe this could prove valuable to me, after all._

But Sharak wouldn't allow the elderly fool's sad, time-wasting plea go unpunished. Sharak would help _himself_, _not_ some worthless human who nobody would miss or even remember. So he had used his powers to transform him into a mindless clawing animal. A completely savage dog, literally without memory of his previous existence. Just obedient to the hand that now fed him…or rather _it_. And now thanks to being cursed by the Aztec Gold on the Isla de Muerta…Sharak's pet was now completely _immortal_.

Sharak took pride in having an animal to call his own, starved and leashed at all times, waiting to be _un_leashed on whoever he chose.

Rip Snap's nostrils flared rapidly, smelling the blood of its most hated prey. _Nobodies. _The beastgrowled evilly, it's razor-sharp teeth baring, before snapping violently as it barked violently, venomous, corrosive saliva flying out of its jaws.

Sharak noticed Rip Snap's ghastly green eyes change to blank white, signifying the scent it had taken.

"We're not the only ones who've invaded this system," remarked Sharak, scratching his pet's head with clawed fingers. _Hard._

Rip Snap then stopped barking and sniffed again. The creature barked even more ferociously when the figure that the _new _scent belonged to appeared in its eyes.

"Hi-Jax as _well_? Then the situation has just become both rewarding _and_ exceedingly difficult." Turning to Agent Z, the contaminated darkness ordered, "Let Rip Snap off the leash. He'll take the lead. The rest of you take to the air and follow him. And be on your guard at all times."

Darkmatter pressed the safety button on the electronic control. The metal chain deactivated and unclipped from Rip Snap's dog collar and the beast belted at full speed. Rip Snap's eyes turned blood-red, hungering for meat and homing in on Reflection's scent. The beast leapt off the cliff-edge and expertly clawed into the nearest rocky pillar, scrambling down and instinctively leaping from rock formation to rock formation before it was safely on hard ground, where it ravaged its way through the forest, ripping through trees, bushes, boulders and any innocent wildlife unfortunate enough to get in Rip Snap's way.

Meanwhile, metal wings had unfolded to full wingspan, rocket boosters had roared to maximum burn and Agent Z and Coldstone were following Rip Snap's lead, its heart signature registered on their heart-tracker systems. Sharak covered the backs of his minions, expecting the inevitable trap that his treacherous former sub-lieutenant had blatantly lured him into.

_Hi-Jax and Nobodies here as well? _thought Sharak. _What ARE you up to, Reflection? You steal all that data from my computer, then DiZ's, you send it to me and doubtless Hi-Jax and Organization XIII. Are you hoping we'll kill each other for it? For the gaps in our knowledge? For one of us to stop this virus that's disabling our technical capabilities? For ONE of us to have a chance to bring our enemies down? You'd obviously do something as predictable as THAT, but why create a world and hearts of your own and lure us here?_

_You've taken over DiZ's computer and locked it out to everyone except yourself. This isn't DiZ's system. This is separate to his mainframe. I know that because I remember the exact data encryptions when I invaded Twilight Town to attack Roxas. This world has all been created with the ENCOM software, but the programming is different entirely. Meaning that the outside world of this city isn't Twilight Town, but another world altogether._

_I'll admit I underestimated your resourcefulness, my little shape-shifter, but if you was as clever as you believed, you'd already know that those who betray me inevitably SUFFER for their folly. And it's a lesson I will…_

_WAIT._

_XEMNAS…_

The moment the contaminated darkness had felt his arch-rival's presence, Rip Snap ground to a halt. It had just cleared the forest when it'd caught the Nobody scent. Dusks emerged from the ground, dancing in formation around the beast. They all pounced for the carnivore, who just curled up into a ball. The bony-spines on Rip Snap's spine shot out in all directions, impaling all the Dusks right through their chests. Rip Snap uncurled, jaws opened wide, drooling venom and absolutely starving.

There was Luxord.

Up in the sky, Xaldin and a squad of Dragoons had appeared to engage Coldstone and Agent Z.

Sharak paused and stood still in the sky, turning to face the Organization's Superior, who was also standing in the sky at the same level as he.

"Thank you for giving us that disc," said Xemnas. "It was very helpful in telling us your current whereabouts. As well as showing us how to disarm all those new defences you fitted to _our _Castle Oblivion. We'll be undoing all the damage you're cancerous presence has done now."

* * *

Thirty-nine minutes, fifteen seconds ago.

"You're insane! You _can't_ 'delete' reality!"

"Oh, really? I think you'll find that I _can_. And what's more…I'll _prove _it to you."

Reflection snapped his fingers and the two of them disappeared in swirls of data. When they rematerialised, Hi-Jax looked around him to see that they were in a computer room, almost identical to the one that DiZ had in his mansion.

"This room is parallel to the one in the outside world. Retrieving my fortune was simplicity itself. It remained safely hidden beyond the wit of all petty thieves or any greedy servant of mine. All those years I was locked away, all my riches were being kept warm for me. After I'd left Sharak, I took all my munny and went on a spending spree. The ENCOM software I'd already copied from Sharak's computer. All the technology I'd used to retreat to another dimension and set up my new lair I'd purchased from various black markets. And _this _is the result."

"The computer is duplicated from DiZ's. Meaning aside from storing such knowledge, being capable of such advanced means of programming and all manner of data functions, it's also capable of hacking into other computers, exploiting the world wide web in all manner of delightful ways."

"I sent out three discs to my three opponents," Reflection further explained as he punched a few commands on the keyboard, pulling up a computerised display as he elaborated to Hi-Jax. "All of them containing different samples of my _master _disc. I knew all of you would want different cuts of information that would appeal to your _individual _tastes. But as you know, I _poisoned _the carrots I dangled. Not only do you all want to know everything I know…but you can't _live _without it."

"You're talking about the virus…" realised Hi-Jax.

"It's modelled on my own data," the aristocrat explained proudly. "Changing, rapidly evolving…too fast and too clever for anyone or anything to possibly combat. Each of the discs corrupted your, Sharak and Organization XIII's networks. Like the darkness, it's rapidly spreading and coursing the entire digital flow, consuming everything from within. The only way to stop the virus is for all three copies of my disc to be installed into the respective systems one at a time."

"Thanks for telling me that, big mouth," nodded the anomaly, getting ready to make his move.

"Even if you somehow managed to get all three discs to purge your friend's PC of the virus, you'd still be in no position at all to stop me," gloated the shape-shifter, as he continued the display on-screen. Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in concentration as Reflection furthered, "You see, only I know the deactivation codes on the fail-safe."

Hi-Jax stood up straight in surprise and alarm.

"What 'fail-safe'?" he demanded to know.

"A bomb," stated Reflection bluntly. "A very large one that will activate as soon as all three discs interact with each other…or simply _touch_. Not only would you, Sharak and Xemnas kill each other for the data, you'd all kill each other by _default_. Oh, and if that's not rich enough for you, I targeted your networks for a reason. Wade's computer, Sharak's computer, the Organization's computer and DiZ's computer…the four most powerful of any kind in the whole universe. The virus will take over all the networks simultaneously, thanks to your uploading, and the computers will all hack into the computers on other worlds, exploiting the power of the Master Control Program, transmitting my virus to _everywhere _and consuming not only the digital realms, but also escaping into _reality itself_! The organic nature, copied from my own data, mimicking the darkness, will invade the hearts of all beings, all _worlds_, consuming and overloading everything into ONE BIG BANG!!!"

Hi-Jax gaped in horror, taking a step-back as he saw the simulation on Reflection's screen. The anomaly then painfully realised that _he'd_ let all this happen. This was his fault. He'd been so obsessed with his hatred and himself that he'd overlooked another threat. One that had grown because of _his _actions and one that was now threatening to destroy everything in a way more insidious than any other.

The image on the computer then changed to reveal Sharak and Xemnas fighting outside of Reflection's world, their respective teams in tow.

"Ah," observed the shape-shifter, amused by the latest developments. "The would-be egotistical conquerors have arrived, right on schedule. Auto, do they have the discs on them?"

"_Affirmative, Captain,"_ boomed Auto's voice. _"Data analysis confirms so."_

"You see?" pointed out Reflection as he turned to Hi-Jax. "They'll kill one another for my fortune and how much they despise each other. Too busy fighting their pathetic war to realise just how easily they've been played like the peasants they are. I left clues on all the discs to lead you all here. If I wanted to, my dear Hi-Jax, I could've thrown you into the fray with them. But you're different from those illogical fools. I know you, you know me. Now you know that whatever happens…_I WIN_. I've accounted for all possibilities."

Hi-Jax shook off his horror. There had to be a way to stop this. There _had _to be!

"Sounds like an impossible situation," nodded Hi-Jax in grudging respect. "And it sounds like you've forgotten that I pull off the impossible 24/7."

"Not this time," the aristocrat simply said, shaking his head. "You want this war to end, and I can give it you. I am master. Whoever has the gold and the power, rules everything. So accept that. Stop being stubborn and concede. Work with me, son of Mahanah…let us start building a new age in the only world that will be left, this digital reality. Let go of your arrogance, your hatred and darkness…and move on."

Hi-Jax looked to see the hand the human Reflection was offering. The aristocrat's smile was not arrogant or evil…but warm and welcoming. The teenager then looked into his enemy's eyes, thinking of Karall again, how similar but different this situation was to _that _experience…how he wanted an end to his tortured existence, to get his life back again…and then the sheer madness that was threatening to destroy the world.

So many thoughts and feelings clashing with one another.

The story of Hi-Jax's life.

"Stop being a peasant, Adam," invited Reflection. "And become a king again."

* * *

Thirty-three minutes ago.

Upon being confronted by Rip Snap, Luxord regarded Sharak's attack dog with, "Ah, carnivorous mindlessness." Rip Snap's eyes blared bright white, its teeth bared and it barked and pounced for the Gambler of Fate. No. 10 just chuckled contemptuously, "Pitiful," and shook his head, snapping his fingers and summoning his giant cards. One by one, the massive deck sprang-up from the ground, passing right through the savage monster, carving him up from the side, from the top and to the other side and from below again. Rip Snap screamed insanely, much to the Nobody's 'delight' as he continued to shuffle all fifty-two cards in his possession. The monster was trapped in the shuffle, capable of doing nothing but screaming as the force of Luxord's cards tore it apart.

After Luxord had finished shuffling his cards, he surveyed the bloodied mess that had been Sharak's pet. Several deep lacerations, contorted/broken limbs and a head that had been twisted round 180 degrees. Luxord turned to walk away.

Then he raised a 'confused' eyebrow.

The creature's heart was _still_ beating!

Luxord slowly turned round to see Rip Snap rising, its wounds healing instantly, its broken bones mending, its limbs unwinding. When it stood vertical, it willed its hands to grab its head and snap it back round to its correct position. Rip Snap 'cracked' its head from side-to-side to make sure it was back on properly. When it was, the creature's eyes changed to blood-red as it growled menacingly at Luxord. The Gambler of Fate now looked upon the beast with interest, then growing caution as Sharak's pet spat wads of green saliva at him. Luxord got a card up to try and shield himself, but some of the corrosive venom managed to get past the Nobody's defence and splatter onto his arm.

The saliva burned through his coat and actually made contact with his bare skin. The poison soon got to work on his system, making his vision blurry and slowing down his reaction time. Rip Snap shot more bone spines out of its back in Luxord's direction. No. 10 used the element of time to freeze the projectiles in mid-air to buy himself a moment to recover, but Rip Snap had smelt the Nobody's blood and was now relentlessly hounding him. It pounced again, clawing and swiping its way through the field of bone shards and was now ready to eat Luxord alive. The Gambler of Fate brought up more of his cards to protect himself, but Rip Snap's savagery and strength was buckling the cards, threatening to tear them apart.

Luxord tried to come up with a strategy but it was becoming increasingly hard to do so. The poison was clouding his mind. If he had a fresh mind, he knew he could easily conquer this brainless dog's brawn with his intellect.

But Sharak's warriors were full of surprises, ones that the Organization hadn't anticipated.

* * *

Twenty-nine minutes, eighteen seconds to go.

As Darkmatter and Coldstone spectacularly clashed with Xaldin and his Dragoon squad, Xemnas' energy sabres clashed with Sharak's claws.

The Nobody Leader's copy of the disc had been most useful in tracking down Sharak and his party to DiZ's Mansion, and with him retreating to Twilight Town that would mean Castle Oblivion would finally be ripe for the taking. Knowing how to disarm the defences would further press his advantage. Victory would soon be his.

But why was it this easy? Why had Sharak left himself so vulnerable? And why had he not summoned his Heartless to even the odds? Sharak wouldn't hand victory this easily to Organization XIII after trying so hard to destroy them? A surprise was inevitable but surely it would've sprung sooner. And Sharak wasn't relishing in the chance to dismember his arch-rival like he should've been.

The gateway opened by DiZ's computer was unguarded, and the Nobodies had arrived in a world similar but _different_ from the Twilight Town that DiZ had created. _Noticeably _different.

Most curious, Xemnas asked Sharak while they grappled.

"Why surrender so easily, Sharak? Why create all this weakness? This disgustingly peaceful world and send out invitations for us to seal your own doom? I always knew you were poor, mad and deluded, but did you really think a peace treaty as feeble as this would…?"

"You'll _always _be a _FOOL_, Xemnas!" spat Sharak as he grabbed the Superior by the throat and pulled his face closer towards his own. "You and your kind are renowned for your stubborn mindsets! Your arrogant beliefs that everything goes as the way _you_ perceive! Do you honestly think you've got the upper hand? That this was all my doing? Although there is nothing more I crave than your destruction, I wouldn't resort to _this_. Telling you where I was and how to disarm my defences just so you can eliminate me. You think you invading _my _Castle Oblivion and your being here _surprises _me? Now, it's my turn. You've claimed Kingdom Hearts by somehow creating your own. My own troops are currently attacking your main headquarters as we speak, capable of bringing it down at any moment, thanks to detailed Intel of your _own _workings."

"You _claim _much," remarked No. 1 as he head-butted the contaminated darkness to free himself. "Am I _meant _to know what you're talking about?"

"Don't try to play games with me, freak," warned the fallen emperor as he evaded Xemnas' sword strike and produced a disc identical to the one Xemnas had. "Especially when you know better. This disc contains a great number of your secrets…or rather it _did_, before the virus on it rendered all the data and my computer corrupt. I'm sure the virus did the same to your system as well as making _your _disc unreadable. I'm not pulling the strings, Xemnas. And clearly neither are you."

"I know that you are a mad anachronism who's struggling to keep up with the future. And _failing_. _Miserably_."

"Very well, then. Two words. SUBJECT…'REFLECTION' ."

The Superior's sabre-wielding arm froze, inches before it could connect with Sharak's hide.

"Subject: 'Reflection'."

Xemnas stared at Sharak, whose eyes shifted to indicate that he was smiling.

"One of your two surviving test subjects in the early days of the Organization? The pompous aristocrat from Twilight Town who Zexion kidnapped? The one who you poked and prodded until he became a shape-shifter? Did you ever stop to wonder what _ever _happened to him? Rotted and forgotten, maybe? He _survived_. After all those years locked away in your secret laboratory under the ruins of Hollow Bastion. In those cells just outside your Room of Sleep.I once recruited him _and _'Subject: Karall'. _Still _think I'm 'claiming' knowledge?"

The Organization's Superior remained silent and motionless, their forces still clashing around them.

"Well?" asked Sharak impatiently.

Xemnas withdrew his energy weapons and stood down.

"I'm listening."

"Rip Snap! Agent Z! Coldstone!" Sharak ordered to his troops. "Stand down this instant!"

"All Nobodies will follow suit," Xemnas likewise ordered to his minions. All their servants froze in battle, turning in confusion to see their respective leaders face each other.

"As much as I loathe this prospect, I loathe the idea of a stuck-up traitor getting the better of me even more. And doubtless you have better things to do than have a forgotten experiment come back to irritate you. So how would you feel about a truce? A VERY - TEMPORARY - truce?"

* * *

Twenty-five minutes, fourteen seconds ago.

Hi-Jax's answer to Reflection's offer had turned out to be the obvious one.

He held his hand out and used his telekinesis to take Reflection's master disc away from him!

The shape-shifter's face gaped in surprise. He had still expected the anomaly to rebel, but by physically attacking him, only to be beaten down again. Instead, Hi-Jax had actually taken the disc and teleported away!

"FOOL!!!" bellowed Reflection as he sprouted razor-sharp teeth, four-more arms, and grew in size and power, wielding Keyblades in each hand. "You can't take my power away from me! Let alone hide!"

As the darkness eclipsed his body again, Reflection darted for the nearest terminal

"You, Sharak, Organization XIII! You're ALL destined for destruction! Because you deny _my _imperial rule!"

He input a few commands, ordering his computer to find Hi-Jax and capture him. The computer reported that Hi-Jax had actually used his powers to teleport out of the system, furthering Reflection's outrage. The shape-shifter tried to summon a digitising beam to follow the teenage exile, but during the processing, the command halted and then aborted. The computer then updated that the receiving teleporter had been disabled and that all communication links between the two realms had been terminator.

Reflection was now effectively trapped.

"I know what you're trying to do, Hi-Jax," realised the shape-shifter. "But you'll _never_ do it."

* * *

Nineteen-minutes, thirty-eight seconds ago.

"You've…GOT to be kidding me."

Infiltrating the system hadn't been hard. After all, Axel had been able to do it before. So what if the encryptions had been changed? It just made things more interesting for him.

Nevertheless, it had surprised him when he'd accessed DiZ's computer, hi-jacked the system and wound up not in the other Twilight Town, but another program altogether. DiZ hadn't been the one to set him up, and for some reason, it didn't smell like Sharak's handiwork either.

Infiltrating the back-up computer room soon uncovered the truth.

After quietly sneaking his way through the city with typical Nobody efficiency, and with the squad of Dusks still loyal to him, dealing with any Heartless interference, No. 8 had accessed the available data and was now doing his investigation

"Subject: Reflection."

That was the first thing the Flurry of Dancing Flames had found. Axel remembered speaking to Zexion about 'Subject: Reflection' quite a while back, way before he betrayed him to the Riku Replica back at Castle Oblivion. Sharak had obviously recruited a great mismatch of warriors from other worlds, but an old forgotten experiment of the Organization's? One that had now betrayed the fallen emperor?

That made Axel laugh in 'amusement'.

Reflection had attacked the Organization disguised as Axel to throw him off his trail, to make sure they further forgot about him so they wouldn't expect the unexpected.

Then Axel found out about the discs, the booby-traps…and Reflection's virus.

Axel had initially dismissed it as a cheap trick like the shape-shifter all over. But when he saw more and more of the data files, the design phases, the replication of Reflection's own data, the first tests, the planning stages, the individual phases of the operation…

Axel had grasped the full scope of Reflection's intellect.

Sharak and Xemnas were here, so was Hi-Jax. _They'd all be destroyed surely by the oncoming storm_, Axel realised. _Good. Sharak'll finally get what's coming to him, the Organization'll finally stop bugging me…and Hi-Jax…well, I like him, but he's expendable at the end of the day. I always knew he'd wind up being too unstable, ever since the experiment at Castle Oblivion. Poor kid'll finally have his peace, anyway. Still…I'll go with them too if I allow the subject to get away with this._

_Looks like you've actually got some help this time, kid. Count your blessings, even the ones you may not be aware of. Got it memorized?_

_And of course…nabbing a little data from here will be a sweet souvenir. Particularly the stuff that will help me get Roxas back. This Reflection clearly knows everything…he MUST know something about this!_

_Just a few more keystrokes here and there and before you know it…_

Without warning, the keyboard became electrified, shocking Axel with such violent force, propelling him backward far away from the console. The Flurry of Dancing Flames landed hard, the intense, burning pain inflicted by the computer's defence nearly making him black out. His vision hazy and the effects lingering, Axel struggled to his feet, and to make out the message that had now been displayed on the computer screen.

DID YOU HONESTLY THINK I HADN'T ANTICIPATED YOUR ARRIVAL, LOWER-CLASS FILTH? CURIOSITY CLAIMS ALL CATS.

Axel then shielded his eyes from the beams of light that shot out from the machines connected to the computer. Within seconds, several pitch-black silhouette Heartless with the trademark emblem came forth to surround Axel. The Nobody just smiled mockingly and drew his chakram.

"Oh, _puh-leassssee_!"

After he'd said those words, all the silhouette Heartless shape-shifted to shadowy replicas of Axel himself, all wielding their own chakram.

YOU'LL HAVE WISHED YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW WHO FRAMED YOU, NOBODY, Reflection spoke through the computer. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOUR LITTLE FRIEND IS FOREVER DEAD, JUST LIKE THE REST OF YOU.

The computer screen then blinked and switched-off. Axel raised an eyebrow as the Silhouettes all assumed his exact stance, getting ready to make their move.

"Okay, I'll admit this is a new definition of bad."

* * *

Seventeen minutes, thirty-one seconds to go.

The effort it had taken Hi-Jax to actually teleport out of the computer system was demanding. Through sheer force of will, he'd been able to accomplish the feat. Although his heart could deal with the pressure, he was already feeling the effects. Trying to shake off the cobwebs, he'd fired a light fireball right at the teleporter to stop Reflection from following him. Then he saw another nearby console and smashed it, hoping to disable something important, not even knowing what it was.

Now that he had a moment to breathe, Hi-Jax wondered what in the world he was going to do next.

Desperate, he pulled out the H.J.F.M. from his coat pocket and tried to contact Wade.

"Wade! Wade, come in, please! Emergency, I need tech support, are you receiving me?!"

Nothing but static.

"WADE!!!"

Hi-Jax began to fear. Fear for his friend, fear for everything he held dear.

_What am I going to do? THINK, DAMN YOU! Where's the Hi-Jax who doesn't take crap from anyone? You pull off the impossible 24/7! This is just another day at the office! So…!_

Hi-Jax noticed the sounds of mechanical whirring too late. Auto had unfolded from the ceiling and activated his tazer arm. High-voltage struck the teenage exile straight in the chest, forcing him to scream. Auto plunged his live tazer deeper and deeper until it nearly touched Hi-Jax's heart. Then he withdrew it, the shock sending the anomaly flying, where he slammed hard against the computer. Auto slowly, ominously moved forward (via the ceiling track) to face the injured eighteen-year-old. Hi-Jax, armed with a pained, angry expression, and holding his hand over his chest, looked up to see the robot wheel, his singular red eye blaring as he summoned Savage Heartless to his attention.

Auto retracted his tazer and opened his pincer out to Hi-Jax.

"_Give me the disc,"_ he ordered simply.

Hi-Jax roared in deafening rage as he shot up to his feet, faster than Auto could react. His fist (empowered by the darkness) smashed the robot helm right off his guiding arm, where he landed faraway with a violent smash. The power in his circuits sizzled and inevitably faded as his life-force extinguished. Auto's red eye faded away into blackness. The Savages leapt for Hi-Jax, who just blinked. A powerful Thundaga spell instantly followed, wiping out the Heartless in mid-pounce.

"Case you didn't get it," said Hi-Jax, looking down on what was left of the fallen Auto, "that means '_no'_."

Hi-Jax then turned to Reflection's computer.

How could he stop the virus? No way could he use the three discs to upload the anti-virus. It was _highly _doubtful Sharak and Xemnas would cooperate with him. Besides, the discs would trigger the self-destruct mechanism if they interfaced with one another, killing them all. He didn't even have his disc on him, rendering that option completely unavailable.

_No chance of getting any help from Wade, either. There's got to be some way! There's only fifteen minutes left! THINK!_

_Wait…_

_All that technical jargon Reflection was spewing…_

_In layman's terms, this computer is pirating the internet, coursing through the world wide web, crashing systems and materialising into reality, overloading the hearts of all worlds._

_Reflection modelled the virus on himself, using his computer to create it and send it._

_Meaning it's just like Reflection's digital city. It doesn't really exist outside the program, or rather, it CAN'T exist without Reflection's computer to keep it alive._

_So Reflection was lying. There IS another way to stop it and undo all the harm it's caused! By destroying this computer!_

Hi-Jax conjured his swords of light and dark, getting ready to unleash destruction…

An alarm sounded, making Hi-Jax tense his muscles, ready for another defence program to kick in.

"_Attention current user," _boomed the new voice, _"Your actions mark you as hostile. Stand down and identify yourself at once."_

"Who are you?" demanded the anomaly.

"_You will identify first. This is your final warning."_

"My name is Hi-Jax. Now tell me who you are."

A bright glow emitted from the power system next to the computer. The projector shot out a beam of light and digitally wrote a hard-light hologram into existence. Hi-Jax stared at the bizarre newcomer. It was a pitch-black humanoid creature, patterned with neon green grids like a computer program. It was seven-feet tall and strongly built, with no facial features to speak of.

"_I am the guardian program of this system, created by my user Reflection to safeguard this world from harm, and to ensure faultless programming and zero-crashing, while the Autopilot oversees mechanical maintenance and ensures smooth running. My serial number is ANTI-666. Your profile matches that within the database. Why do you seek to destroy this system?"_


	20. Chapter 20: Who Really Won?

**_Author's note: One of the reasons why this story has just taken me so long to do was because of Reflection, and Karall, for that matter. When I'd planned how this story was going to flow, I'd originally planned to introduce Reflection and Karall as throwaway characters in Chapter 4: Chess Schemes. Mere lackeys, nothing more. But then during the writing of those characters, I saw a lot more in them than just shallow followers of Sharak. Their personalities started to germinate right before me and I knew they deserved develoment and that I could tell some awesome chapters with them._**

**_Which meant deviating from the original plot somewhat._**

**_And that it turn, meant trying to tell great tales, and wrap them up as quickly and as best I could so I could resume with the main plot. It was a great struggle and I suffered from writer's block so much because of it._**

**_Nevertheless, I'm proud of doing what I did. Because I've discovered now what method of writing works best for me, and it's allowed this story (I personally think) to evolve for the better, introducing so many things that I'm proud of, and I hope all Kingdom Hearts fans will enjoy._**

**_To all loyal readers, THANK YOU for staying with me. And sorry you've had to wait for an update. Hope these two chapters are a sufficient enough reward._**

**_D.C. Wood (12/09/09)_**

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 20: Who Really Won?**

Eleven minutes, forty-one seconds ago.

EVE's new directive had proven to be so much harder than her previous one had ever been.

She'd been created by the BnL Corporation as part of Operation: Recolonize. One of many robot search probes to determine whether life on their homeworld could ever be sustainable again. As an Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, that was her directive. Sleek, advanced, with the mechanics and programming to fulfil her role (along with speed, agility, strength, flight and a VERY handy laser cannon), EVE was more than capable of doing the job.

It had taken time. And been an arduous journey, but she'd finally done it. She'd been able to find prove that life on her homeworld was sustainable once again.

Thanks to WALL-E.

WALL-E had been the last survivor of a line of robots charged with Operation: Clean-Up. A remarkable, little machine that had still kept going after 700 years. One who had developed a remarkable personality and fascination with so many things. It was WALL-E who had shown EVE what it meant to have a heart. It was him who had shown her how to convey emotions and to appreciate and value life, and it was also because of WALL-E that they'd been able to thwart Auto, return the Axiom to their homeworld and restore it to its former beauty and glory.

For so long, man and machine lived in peace and happiness, with WALL-E and EVE forever enjoying their sweet union. It seemed destined to last forever.

Until the day Reflection and his Heartless arrived.

The carnage had been horrific and nightmarish. All the humans and robots had created…taken away from them, utterly ruined in a way ten times worse than the BnL Corporation's carelessness had ever done.

Humans turned into Heartless creatures, homes and lush, beautiful landscapes all going down in flames, robots destroyed, friends and family all lost to the darkness.

Only EVE, WALL-E and their friend M-O had managed to survive the devastating loss of their world. Everything that they'd ever loved and cared for…cruelly taken away from them.

After that, they'd somehow managed to find their way to Traverse Town. To repair…and to somehow adjust to the horrible new truth that they were now very alone.

EVE knew she had needed a new directive. And she quickly found one: to rebuild everything that which she once lost. It would be next to impossible, but she, WALL-E and all their friends had done the impossible before. They could do it again, she was sure of it.

Nevertheless, it had proven to be so much harder than before. And now she was beginning to doubt whether she could achieve her directive. It had taken her months to track down Reflection, let alone find anything that could possibly restore her home. It was only due to tracking computer signals that had led her to this dimension, a portal opened by Reflection as part of a test of the technology he had acquired. Once she'd gone through it, however, it turned out she hadn't been able to get back.

So now she'd wound up in a strange, dark dimension, scanning for signs of life, anything to give her hope. Nothing but zero matches turned up on her scanning, to the point where she started blasting everything out of rage.

That's when the Heartless came after her. Her worst nightmare come back to life, EVE fought and ultimately retreated, realising she may have strayed onto a suicide course. She'd battled and fled, now wanting to be with WALL-E again.

And that's when she found Reflection's Lair.

Overjoyed because of the breakthrough, she immediately started scanning all the technology outlined in the caverns. EVE had detected a vast storage of information here. Taking a USB cable from her storage chamber, she interfaced with the technology via an illegal connection through the connection port.

"Home," she smiled fondly, as the visuals came through her mind.

Then she started trawling the data, learning about the Heartless and the heart of worlds, all there was to know about the subject. It startled, amazed and more often than not…terrified her.

The moment EVE had downloaded all the information she required…her eyes widened.

That was when she found out about Reflection's scheme.

His conquering of her home had just been a means of solidifying his power, while he set up a digital haven, whilst destroying all of reality! And the new world Reflection had created…she'd recognised parts of it.

He'd stolen some of her world to create the landscapes!

Eve's eyes narrowed in burning hatred. She disconnected herself and her USB cable retracted back into her storage chamber.

"Reflection!" she screamed in rage.

She unfolded her arm cannon and charged it, getting ready to start blasting, before she would stop this insane scheme.

The shape-shifter appeared behind her, grabbing her cannon arm, lifting her up to his face. The expression on the robot's screen changed from one of shock, to one of resentment.

"Silly little toy," regarded Reflection as he flung her to one side. "Where do they get these cretinous misfits from?"

He snapped his fingers and teleported away, knowing where Hi-Jax would be. Neo-Shadows slowly rose from the ground, twitching and eyeing EVE ominously. The robot's eyes widened in horror as they all pounced for her, soon piling on top of her, clawing and scratching, determined to get her heart _this _time.

The plasma blast soon erupted, consuming the Heartless in explosive force. EVE cocked her weapon, readying to fight for her life, for her home, once again.

As more Neo-Shadows rose from the ground.

EVE's eyes narrowed fiercely as she gestured to the creatures to bring it on. No more running this time, she decided. Time to end all this.

"Bring it!" she dared the Heartless

* * *

Nine minutes, eighteen seconds ago.

ANTI-666 had heard Hi-Jax explain himself, why he was here, what Reflection was planning and that he was he trying to stop it.

"_Yes," _ANTI-666 remarked unemotionally, _"Your statement is corroborated by all calculations and available data within this system."_

"Now stand aside," demanded the teenager.

"_I cannot allow you to harm this system."_

"This system is destroying reality! If it isn't stopped…!"

"_My programming only permits me to monitor and maintain the security of this world and this world alone," _the computer hologram explained.

"There are BILLIONS of worlds out there!" pleaded Hi-Jax, desperately. "Billions of innocent people who are going to become _extinct_!Reality is _infinitely_ more than what you're currently protecting!"

ANTI-666 remained motionless, staring at the teenager. Reflection had charged the guardian program with protecting the digital realm, equipping it with all the various knowledge necessary, including about Hi-Jax. ANTI-666 had calculated a 92% probability that the anomaly would attack instantly, wildly and destructively, given his history and the highly erratic readings registering from his heart. Instead, the young human was _appealing _to the program. The complete opposite of what his user had told him. The likelihood of this outcome being _very _low indeed.

Could Reflection actually be wrong? In general? He was wrong about Hi-Jax's reactions. This was certainly an interesting conjecture. Maybe it was time to make a decision for itself, for the first time ever.

Finally, ANTI-666 replied, _"Please explain."_

Hi-Jax thought about this carefully. He'd already wasted enough time appealing to this program. Reflection's virus would wipe out all reality entirely in a matter of minutes. The key to stopping it was ANTI-666. How could he win it over?

An idea then popped into Hi-Jax's head. It was very risky. There was no telling how ANTI-666 would react to this…to _him_. But it was the only way to show the program of all the wonderful things out there, his best chance of successful appeal. Time was running out, and there were no other options available. At least not enough time to think of something better.

_Last roll of the dice_, the teenage exile decided.

"The best way for me to explain," began Hi-Jax, "is for me to _show _you what I mean. Perform a data scan on my heart and memories. Focus on the good, the light shining deep within the darkness."

"_Proceed forward,"_ instructed ANTI-666.

Hi-Jax stepped forward closer to the hologram, which sprouted bright white eyes. Data beams trailed from its eyes and scanned Hi-Jax's heart, then his brain.

"_Processing…"_ declared the program, as its eyes closed in computation.

ANTI-666 struggled greatly at first to compute the vast data that belonged to Hi-Jax. So many advanced and convoluted variables and equations that DiZ and the Organization had devised to make Hi-Jax what he was. However, ANTI-666 was truly one of a kind, a program like no other. It was somehow able to process the reality that something could be so complicated and powerful.

It saw Hi-Jax's terrible capacity for darkness and destruction, his many acts of violence and breaking of world rules, his creation as a weapon of devastation, and all the other horrors that followed him. Sharak, Organization XIII, the Heartless, the Nobodies, so many villains on other worlds, all dire threats that would destroy Reflection's paradise, and for the good of the system, must be eliminated.

Then the guardian program remembered what Hi-Jax had advised about focusing on the _good_ side of it all. Hi-Jax's experiences and beliefs, his previous life as Adam, son of Mahanah, the beauty of his kingdom and the love and innocence of all his people and family, all the great, inspirational heroes he'd befriended, Hi-Jax's desire to reclaim his happiness, to see his friends again, all the beautiful, different worlds he'd travelled to, those countless wonderful hearts, all the amazing things they'd created and done, the anomaly's resolute and unyielding desire to protect and save the world…

Every bit of Hi-Jax's positive knowledge and radiance was appealing to ANTI-666 to override its programming, accept Reflection was doing wrong and that the outside world was no different than the one it had been charged to protect.

_PLEASE_, Hi-Jax implored. _Stop the virus and cease this senseless apocalypse! The good outweighs the bad! At the end of the day, it always does! Let the world live! I BEG YOU!_

"'_Beg',"_ pondered ANTI-666, the concept making it most curious. _"It is a trait that is not in your character profile. All this data, this contradiction…it is…fascinating. I…appreciate you showing me this…but I…I cannot override my programming. I…"_

"PLEASE!" screamed the teenage exile, desperately. "Your serial number! It means you're opposed to the end!"

ANTI-666 fell silent. Hi-Jax's last remark had forced it even deeper into computation.

Hi-Jax sighed in despair.

It looked like the program had crashed.

Five minutes, five seconds to go.

_Time's running out,_ Hi-Jax reminded himself, looking at the countdown display on the computer screen.

_No other choice, then…_

Hi-Jax summoned light and dark fireballs in the palms of his hands and got ready to destroy the machines.

"I'm sorry, ANTI-666. I have no choice. This is for the good of the world."

The eighteen-year-old grimaced, got ready to hurl his projectiles…and hesitated.

ANTI-666 was an intelligent life form, maybe approaching true sentience for the first time ever in its life. It was about to make a life and death decision. The stakes were high, truly…but…_surely _this being had a right to choose for itself. And after all Hi-Jax's pleading…that was all for a chance just to attack without mercy? That was more like the Heartless.

And what of the world that Reflection had created? It was its own civilisation, full of hearts, people just living out their lives. They had no idea what was going on at this moment! They were innocents in all this! Was Hi-Jax really prepared to destroy them, too? MILLIONS of hearts?

The anomaly started trembling. The horrors of the Karall affair came back to haunt Hi-Jax. How all those hearts, enslaved to Karall's darkness had perished along with him.

Then he realised…because of Hi-Jax's actions.

A world destroyed. Along with all its hearts.

All that knowledge, as well. His wife and daughter, his homeworld…_everything_ that had been retconned by the actions of Terron…still existed. Reflection's disc contained the knowledge on how to find everything that Hi-Jax had lost.

But did it _really _exist? He may have seen the evidence earlier after Wade showed him - evidence from DiZ and the Organization's own records - but all that could've been falsified by the shape-shifter to lure him here. Reflection was more intent anyway on reuniting him with the _digital _counterparts of his family and people.

But…the truth was nevertheless deep within this system. If Hi-Jax destroyed it, he'd never know for sure.

_DiZ…what do I do? TELL ME!_

A new image appeared on screen.

The fireballs Hi-Jax was wielding dissipated as soon as his eyes fixed onto the image.

Eilera, the beautiful wife of Adam, son of Mahanah.

She had died along with their daughter Katherine and the rest of Castle Mahanah, thanks to Organization XIII.

"_Adam?" _she spoke upon seeing Hi-Jax. _"Adam, is that you?"_

Hi-Jax gasped in shock. Removing his shades, he reached out to his wife, trying to read her heart.

His telepathy penetrated the system.

To discover that the heart was exactly the same as the one the teenage exile remembered so vividly.

"Eilera! I'm here! I…!"

Then he saw her cradling Katherine in her arms. Then Jaron came into view, watching over them. Along with Mahanah.

The view zoomed out to reveal the world…of Castle Mahanah.

Exactly as Hi-Jax remembered it.

"_We're here, Adam," _Jaron spoke assuring. _"We're ALL here."_

The anomaly continued to tremble.

Two minutes, sixteen seconds to go.

"This isn't real…" Hi-Jax weakly said. "It _can't _be."

"It _is_, you stupid pauper. You've _seen _it, _smelt _it, _felt _it and _experienced _it. Your heart _isn't _lying to you."

The anomaly looked over his shoulder to see Reflection standing behind him, having escaped back into reality via a back-up teleporter.

"I knew you wouldn't destroy my world. The guilt of you doing the same to Karall's world still eats away at you."

"It wasn't like that," the anomaly argued softly.

"I've seen your attempts to 'save the day' so many times," scoffed Reflection. "You're not at all a hero plagued by the darkness. You're a villain contaminated by light. Sharak has spent his entire existence ruining everything, creating the Heartless. Organization XIII have spent their time sacrificing everything for their science, creating the Nobodies. DiZ has spent his time plotting his revenge, reviving Sora and creating _you_. Destruction creating more destruction. _I_…have done nothing but live out a fine life, crafting it for a peaceful world and its inhabitants. I'm the real hero here, the real _Saviour_."

"I'm trying to help. That's all I've ever tried to do."

"And you've failed, Hi-Jax. _Miserably_. Just like you've failed your homeworld."

Reflection walked right up to Hi-Jax and spoke into his ear.

"How many _more _lives have you ruined? Just ask yourself. _How - many - more_?"

Tears fell from the anomaly's eyes as he remembered. All too well.

_Father._

_The Council of Light._

_The World of Heaven_

_Jaron._

_The Destiny Islands._

_Tidus, Wakka, Selphie._

_Kairi._

_Eilera._

_Katherine._

_My people._

_Castle Mahanah._

_Kim._

_Ron._

_The Possible Family._

_Rachel._

_Tai._

_All those people in "Sanctuary"._

"Hi-Jax. The boy who always gets the first and last word in," said Reflection. "Always having snappy and psychological comebacks at the ready. Always destroying and taking names. Never ever allowing himself to look weak in the eyes of his enemies, never ever looking back because he _daren't_. Out of _shame_."

With that, Hi-Jax fell to his knees in complete surrender.

"You cannot stop me, Hi-Jax. Because you don't want any more blood on your hands. You've gone over the edge too many times and that's what's _already _defeated you. I have won."

Hi-Jax looked up to his enemy, his face a mixture of despair, anger…and indeed, shame.

"_Enough."_

Hi-Jax's eyes shot open when he heard that voice. Thanks to GO-4 (Auto's robot head of security) and Reflection's Technician Heartless, Auto had secretly been reassembled and rebooted in all the time Hi-Jax had been distracted.

"_Engage security defences."_

A beam of red light shot out from the console, striking Hi-Jax and paralysing him completely. He tried to respond but his muscles were completely numb and immobile. He was now truly helpless and unable to do anything but watch.

Watch the end of everything.

"Auto, status report on the other intruders."

"_All enemy parties are struggling for survival, sir,"_ Auto reported. _"Estimated time of destruction matches that exactly of universal deletion."_

"Kindly display the visuals for our guest, please,"

"_Aye-aye, sir_."

Hi-Jax grimaced in horror as the robot wheel rapidly pressed controls on the panel to bring up images of Sharak and Xemnas, actually fighting side-by-side with one another to destroy Reflection's world and his citizens. Axel and EVE, both injured/battle-damaged, were actually destroying their opposition, _winning _in-fact.

Reflection stared at the screens in surprise.

"So they both caught on," remarked the aristocrat on Sharak and Xemnas. "Like it makes any difference now. Auto, _maximum _deletion."

"_Right away, Captain."_

More Heartless materialised in the computer system to further harass the unlikely Heartless/Nobody alliance. More Heartless soon teleported to the back-up computer room to further finish Axel off. And more Heartless ambushed EVE in the caverns.

"See, Hi-Jax? My victory was inevitable all along. No matter _how many _nuisances, they _all _get stamped out like the pestilent bugs they are. Reboot the system, Auto."

"_Acknowledged. Reboot will commence upon universal deletion. All damage within the digital city will be repaired. All viruses will be wiped clean from the hard drive."_

"And this world will be safely shielded from the effects of my big bang," sighed Reflection, contently. "Beautiful. I do so love admiring fireworks, especially ones that don't blow up in my face. GO-4, retrieve my disc from the boy."

The little robot snapped a salute and scanned Hi-Jax to determine which pocket he'd hidden the disc. Once he'd determined so, GO-4 fired his levitation ray and retrieved the disc from the powerless Hi-Jax. The anomaly's eyes widened as the answers to all his questions slipped away from him. GO-4 handed the disc back to his master and saluted him again. Reflection grew a smile on his face as he looked back on Hi-Jax and gestured towards the screens.

To see the faces of Sharak, Xemnas, Axel and EVE as they prepared to face the end.

YOU CAN'T DO THIS, REFLECTION!!!" screamed Hi-Jax. "LISTEN TO ME!!! STOP IT, PLEASE!!!"

Twenty-seconds and counting, Sharak and Xemnas continued to tear away at the opposition in fury. Their respective warriors likewise clashed with Reflection's forces. EVE and Axel were fighting on regardless of the overwhelming odds, scrambling desperately for a solution.

"NOTHING can stop the countdown now!" roared the shape-shifter in insane triumph in front of the immobilised Hi-Jax. "ALL of repugnant reality will be deleted! The viruses in my digital haven will all be purged! The digital age of my aristocracy will live forever! Peace, power and wealth will all they'll be in my digital paradise, with me as it's king!"

"_Universal deletion in ten, nine, eight, seven…"_

Hi-Jax saw the screen, saw all his friends and enemies fighting each other, knowing that they would all die. And he was powerless to do anything about it. Reflection, completely over the edge, cackled in triumph, with the master disc in his hands. And the combined discs about to detonate.

As Auto continued the countdown.

"…_three, two, one…"_

…

…

…

Nothing happened.

The Heartless were all deleted from the computer system. The countdown ceased.

"_Not possible," _exclaimed Auto, pressing more buttons on the console to try and get a response.

"What's going on?!" spat Reflection in outrage.

"_System in shutdown. Countdown has been terminated," _reported the robot wheel, his red eye widening in alarm. _"Computer has crashed, all command functions non-operational. Virus has been reversed. World detonation sequence aborted."_

"No…NO. NOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed the aristocrat in insane denial.

Hi-Jax shed a tear, smiled and sighed in absolute relief.

The shape-shifter turned to ANTI-666, understanding what had happened. The program had finished processing and had reached its decision.

"PROGRAM!!! I AM YOUR USER!!! YOUR CREATOR!!! WHAT REASON DO YOU HAVE TO DISOBEY ME??!!"

"_This program is wrong. I am following my function to safeguard the world. The real world."_

Reflection span round to face the now-smirking Hi-Jax.

"YOU DID THIS!!!"

"Having a tantrum, Reflection?" taunted the anomaly. "Not very _refined _or _elegant _of you, now is it?"

The shape-shifter screamed in fury as he summoned a dark version of the Keyblade and prepared to execute the anomaly. An energy beam fired and struck Reflection's hand, disintegrating it and the Keyblade. The shape-shifter scream's of pain were intense, almost as bad as when Hi-Jax had impaled him through the heart.

The dark aristocrat looked at where his hand had once been, shivering in shock as he turned to the hard-light hologram, who had fired the beam.

"_No more," _declared ANTI-666 resolutely.

Shock quickly gave way to rage as Reflection pointed at the program.

"TERMINATE THAT DEFECTIVE PIECE OF SOFTWARE!!!"

Obeying their leader, the Technician Heartless brandished their drills and spanners and darted towards the program. The hologram raised his hand in front of the Heartless, making them freeze on the spot. Where they exploded into dark mist.

"_These Heartless were constructed digitally by me," _explained ANTI-666. _"Their code still carries over to reality. Meaning I can delete any Heartless created by computer at will. My interaction with Hi-Jax has also powered my systems, enabling me to sustain myself permanently in this form, effectively existing outside of the confines of your system, Reflection."_

Turning to Auto and GO-4, the aristocrat ordered, "Stop that program! Summon more Heartless! Terminate its links with my computer!"

GO-4 screeched electronically, raising its tiny arms as he accelerated to attack ANTI-666. Auto moved to once again try and input more commands via the keyboard. But things remained as they were, completely dead.

"_I have overridden all manual and outside control of this system,"_ ANTI-666 declared. _"This system will remain under my control ALONE. As will all mechanical devices empowered by it."_

With that, GO-4's advance halted before he could reach the hologram's feet. His life signs ultimately faded and he fell flat on his front, totally off-line.

As for Auto, self-control was completely overridden. ANTI-666, inspired by Hi-Jax's showing him of human capacity to have fun, decided to experiment. Auto's mechanical arm swung from side-to-side, his wheel spinning wildly, his appendages all extending and flailing.

"_Let go. Desist," _ordered Auto as ANTI-666 sent him hurtling all over the place. _"Reflection. Sir. Help me. Help me."_

Hi-Jax was released from the immobilizing ray and burst into laughter as he saw Auto's humiliation.

"YOU WILL STOP THIS AT ONCE!!!" commanded Reflection as he jumped to attack the renegade program. The chakram and plasma blast hit him hard across the chest, right into Hi-Jax's arms, where they threw him violently against the wall with crumpling impact. Slumped in defeat, the shape-shifter painfully looked up to see both Axel and EVE brandishing weapons and pointed at him.

"Surrender!" ordered EVE, eyes narrowed in anger.

"What she said," nodded Axel in approval.

"What did you do?" asked Hi-Jax, walking up to ANTI-666.

"_I teleported them here to incapacitate Reflection," _explained the program. _"I have read their files from Reflection's disc and determined they would be best suited to do so."_

"And Sharak and Xemnas? The virus, all the damage done?"

"_I have expelled all Heartless and Nobodies from the system. Sharak and Xemnas, all their respective followers have been returned to their domains. All traces of the virus have been completely eradicated and all the damage to the World Wide Web has been repaired. All computer systems throughout the world are once again fully functional. The current status quo has been restored. Which now leaves one objective left to be fulfilled."_

The teenage exile raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You showed me the New Era of Darkness, the Imbalance of Reality and this horrific Darkness-Nothing War which threatens to destroy us all. All these out-of-continuity events are spiralling out of control. I can understand why you exist, Hi-Jax, to maintain the natural flow of events. But this whole affair nearly created an irreversible end. Because of Reflection and because of me. Wild cards that this world can do without."

Shocked, Hi-Jax put his hands on the hologram's shoulders and said, "ANTI-666, you can't! You mustn't…!"

"_I must," _declared the program swatting him aside. Axel and EVE, already confused by what was going on, looked over to the hologram. Reflection, injured and restrained, could only watch in alarm.

"PROGRAM, DON'T!!! FOR THE LAST TIME!!! I CREATED YOU!!! YOU MUST OBEY ME!!!"

"_This system and technology are the tools of evil. So long as they exist, they will forever threaten the balance of the world. Deleting all pirate copies of stolen data. Returning all violated computer mainframes to their default settings. Deleting digital world and all its inhabitant hearts. Initiating complete self-destruct sequence for this world. FULL AND THOROUGH ELIMINATION OF THIS SCHEME WILL COMMENCE IMMEDIATELY!!!"_

When Hi-Jax got back up to his feet, and had heard the hologram's declaration, he thought at first of the loss of all the answers he'd been looking for. He, along with his enemies, would all lose the secrets they'd been given. For Hi-Jax, that meant any clue to the whereabouts of his home and family, the means to take down Sharak and Organization XIII and the ultimate key to finally completing his quest.

Then he thought of all the inhabitants of Reflection's world. Innocent, _real _hearts all just living out their lives in a peaceful, beautiful world, undeserving of death.

Genocide.

Hi-Jax looked to the screens, seeing all the people screaming and dying. Along with Eilera, Katherine and all the anomaly cared about. The teenage exile could feel their hearts dying.

Every - single - one - of - them.

All the machines and computers burst into flames. Axel and EVE scrambled, shielding themselves from rubble and debris

"What have you done?!" yelled Hi-Jax in despair.

"_What is logical and mandatory," _explained ANTI-666. _"Now I must do the same to myself and Reflection. Although the circumstances thus far have now made us both exceedingly difficult to terminate, I will teleport us both away to a remote location until I can find a solution."_

The anomaly punched the hard-light hologram right across the face, the sheer power making the program fall right to the ground. ANTI-666 looked up at the eighteen-year-old in both surprise and confusion. For the first time ever, the program was experiencing physical pain, a bizarre sensation. And it was also baffled by why Hi-Jax had done such a thing to him. After showing him such wonderful things and being inspired to perform heroic deeds.

"_Hi-Jax…how…? Why…?"_

"Do you have ANY idea what you've just done?!" yelled Hi-Jax in fury as he opened an exit. "Now get in the portal!"

"_But I…"_

"MOVE!!!"

ANTI-666 complied but he wasn't sure why he was doing so, and why Hi-Jax was now saving him when he should be destroying him and Reflection, or allowing them to be destroyed. This was most illogical.

But that was Hi-Jax all over, the program reminded itself as it entered the light gateway.

"Both of you!" the anomaly turned to Axel and EVE. "Inside! RUN!"

The unlikely duo responded, with Hi-Jax about to enter.

Then he stopped and looked back to see Reflection, injured and trapped under debris. His lair being consumed and ravaged by explosions. Auto had long been deactivated.

"REFLECTION!!!" called Hi-Jax, running back towards the shape-shifter.

A black glove grabbed his arm and furiously wrestled with him. Two white robot arms also grabbed Hi-Jax's other arm, refusing to let him die here.

"Don't be stupid!" Axel shouted. "Let's go!"

"Hi-Jax! Hi-Jax!" implored EVE desperately.

The anomaly looked at them, then back at the portal and then finally at the doomed shape-shifter.

"Reflection, come with us!" begged the exile. "You were right! There's so much we can accomplish together for the greater good!"

"You think you know better than I?!" bellowed Reflection in furious rage. "You've just _proven_ that you're infinitely worse than I am! YOU did all this, Hi-Jax! Just as you destroyed Karall and his kingdom, so too have you ruined me and my world! Just as you'll destroy the Heartless and the Nobodies! Just as you'll destroy Sharak! Just as you'll destroy Organization XIII! Just as you'll destroy everything you hold dear! YOU are anti-life incarnate! THE TERMINAL CANCER OF REALITY ITSELF!!!"

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in resentment at the shape-shifter, the sight of him perishing would doubtless haunt him for a long time. As would the sound of his screams.

But as EVE and Axel dragged him into the portal, Hi-Jax would be haunted most of all by Reflection's words. And the very real possibility…of the aristocrat being _right_.

* * *

Traverse Town.

A peaceful house in the First District, where Rachel and Tai currently reside. For the last few months they had been able to build a semblance of normal, quiet peaceful life in this wonderful little world. In the day, Rachel would occupy her time as a charity worker, helping those who had lost their worlds to the Heartless, aiding families, orphans and outsiders with re-housing, food, clothing and finding work. In the night, Rachel would help the neighbourhood watch and head the defence group to repel invaders.

Tai was enjoying going to school and befriending fellow inhabitants, particularly the Moogles. Talking with those who had gone through the same horrors he had had helped him to heal. Rachel had also started teaching him to properly fend for himself, which further made his heart grow stronger.

And of course, him playing with their new housemates could only make him smile.

It was now evening, Rachel was getting supper ready, M-O was finishing off the cleaning and Tai and WALL-E were playing checkers.

"A-ha!" exclaimed WALL-E in triumph as he knocked away Tai's last checker.

"Well done, WALL-E," smiled Tai in congratulations, shaking the robot's hand.

M-O's scans indicated that the dining area was "ALL CLEAN" and he nodded proudly to Rachel.

"Thank you, M-O," she smiled gratefully. She then gently picked the small robot up off the table and put him down on the floor to converse with WALL-E. Then she laid out the supper, plates, serving spoons and cutlery for her and Tai. They were just about to eat when they heard knocking on the door. Tai recognised _that_ particular knock _every _time. He left from his chair instantly and rushed excitedly to answer it to discover that it was indeed Hi-Jax. The anomaly was visibly drained but nevertheless very happy to see the boy. They hugged tightly as the smiling Rachel also greeted him.

"EVE!" exclaimed WALL-E in delight upon seeing his soul-mate.

"WALL-E!" EVE had never been happier to see him. The two rushed to embrace.

Then a confused ANTI-666 came in to the house. Rachel and everyone else looked at Hi-Jax, puzzled.

Then the explanations began over food and drink. The pasta, tomato sauce and garlic bread made Hi-Jax feel better. As did the milk. Not only was Rachel a remarkable warrior and human being, she was also a fantastic cook. Something _else _to be thankful for having Rachel as a friend.

By the time the meal had ended, Hi-Jax had finished explaining his story to Rachel and Tai. ANTI-666 had just stood still, studying his surroundings. The warm, comforting atmosphere of the house, the hearts of the mechanical life-forms (as human as anything else), and this family that had survived the greatest horrors imaginable only to maintain their strong, good nature.

_Fascinating. Just fascinating_, the hologram thought.

"I need you to do something for me," asked Hi-Jax.

"Anything," Rachel nodded without hesitation.

"Our victory over Reflection came at a _huge _price. And that price is _him_."

ANTI-666 turned to Hi-Jax, who was staring at the hologram intently.

"This program completely erased the digital world. A beautiful haven with _millions _of REAL hearts. He committed genocide, he now lives outside the computer system and he has enormous power. He's _far_ too dangerous to be left alone, to his own devices."

"_It was YOUR heart that made me what I am now," _pointed out ANTI-666

"EXACTLY! You scanned a FAR from perfect template! A good heart that was tampered with by evil for evil purposes! You were also created by insidious machinations for twisted purposes! Born in darkness, inspired by flaws and contradictions! Whatever noble intentions you've got are corrupted by too much power, too much responsibility, wannabe puppet masters and the world today!"

Turning back to Rachel, he furthered, "And doesn't that _remind _you of someone? That is _me._ 24/7. On paper, it sounds good and wholesome. Powerful entity charged with keeping the world safe, but I was created by _monsters _who think they can do whatever they want. I have had everything taken away from me, I am locked onto a collision course with the biggest monster of them all and I am very, very bitter because of what's been done to me. Full of anger, rage and a desire to unleash destruction on all these beasts."

"But it's because of people like _you and _Tai that I remember what humanity means. I need friendship and family to help my light counterbalance the darkness. I need _guidance_. And thanks to you and everyone else, I've been able to keep sight of my goals, what side I'm meant to be on and how important it is to have a heart. And I need you to do the same for ANTI-666 now."

"_So that's why you saved me?"_ asked ANTI-666, coming forward. _"To try and help me? Or because you don't trust me?"_

"BOTH," stood up the teenage exile to face…him. Turning back to Rachel, he further explained. "I've shown him everything. The good and the bad. He's chosen the good, but he needs educating. I'm appointing you and everyone in this house his users, Rachel. A personality will properly develop, but make sure he values life. Wherever he finds it. He _must _know how precious it is."

"You can count on us," nodded Rachel. "Always."

"Likewise. I've got to go. Got a few people to talk to. See you again."

"Help," offered EVE, gesturing to herself then to Hi-Jax

"You already have, EVE," he nodded in understanding. "And the people of Traverse Town will need you to help them. And I'll help you, WALL-E and M-O in any way I can."

Hi-Jax said his goodbyes and then left, promising to himself, _Just as I'll help everyone else._

* * *

On the roof of the Bell Tower in the Third District.

Axel stood with his arms folded, surveying the peacefulness of night time in Traverse Town.

"Everything Reflection did has been completely undone," No. 8 said. "All his secrets, his tampering with our computer systems, exploiting the internet, that virus…"

"What do you want?" asked Hi-Jax, teleporting behind him.

"It's like it never happened," chuckled Axel, shrugging in the irony of the situation. "Retconned to avoid oblivion. I wonder what _that _reminds me of…"

"Do you charge for this personal abuse, Axel? Cos I can pay back with interest, you know."

Axel turned to face the teenage exile with a dark look on his face.

"Our experiment worked _too_ well," remarked the Flurry of Dancing Flames.

"Yeah? Well, Vexen should have thought about that during the planning stages."

"Vexen was full of himself…"

"I've had more than enough mind games and bickering for one day, Axel," interrupted Hi-Jax folding his arms. "Now cut to the chase."

The Nobody stared for a moment before saying, "Reflection set me up. I was there because I wanted to know who and why. When I did, I found out a lot more than I wanted to."

"I'd already gathered you weren't there to help me…"

"Believe it or not, I like you, kid. I like Ilxsa, too. That's why I tried to help her a while back. That's why I dragged you into the portal and stuck around…"

"Don't pretend you care, Nobody!" snapped the anomaly, getting into Axel's face. "You were there at Castle Oblivion when you all undid my life! You were there as a back-up plan to terminate me in case Vexen's little science project failed! You've manipulated Sora and Riku, and you've killed all other traitors like you without any remorse! I - KNOW - YOU, Axel. I _know _your kind, and I know you do what you all do for one thing only. _Yourselves_."

"That's because we were all _spurned_, Hi-Jax," he explained, 'venomously'. "Just like you, and just like Ilxsa."

"I am _nothing _like you. _Ilxsa_, I can understand."

"I _know _you understand her. And what she did. So you should be able to understand me, _and _Roxas, which I know is the only poster you've got of us which _doesn't_ have knives in it. You've got a soft spot for some of us. You wanna save and redeem Ilxsa and you're sympathetic towards Roxas. Yet you hate our race for what we did, which was save the world. That makes you such a hypocrite."

"You're right, it does," nodded Hi-Jax, truthfully. "I openly admit it. But the difference between us is that _you _don't own up to your hypocrisy. None of you do."

Axel sighed for a moment and put his hand on his head as he looked up to the stars in 'despair'. Putting his hands on his hips, he looked back at Hi-Jax.

"Whether you believe me or not, I never wanted Roxas, Ilxsa or you to suffer. When I first saw you at Castle Oblivion all those months ago, I thought you were just a ticking time bomb that was beyond what we had in mind. After that, I thought you were just a reckless loose cannon. You keep proving everyone wrong and I respect you for that. I'm not like the Organization. I feel like I have a heart, because of guys like you. I went rogue because of Roxas. You and Ilxsa have shown me that I made the right decision."

Hi-Jax stared at the Nobody…and let his anger slip away. Tired and sad, he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry…but he's gone and he's not coming back."

"I don't believe that," denied No. 8. "Reflection knew everything! So there _must _be a way! It doesn't make any difference that the disc is gone! The truth still exists! I just need to find out _how_. It's the same with you finding out about that your home and family are still alive!"

"That carrot is gone forever," sighed the anomaly taking his shades of his face, so that Axel could see the pain in his eyes. "And knowing Reflection, it could've been a poisoned carrot to be taken with a pinch of salt. He wasn't giving secrets out to help anyone. He was mocking us all, _toying _with us."

Hi-Jax lowered his head in sadness, as he finished with, "I guess he won, after all."

"That's not the attitude, Hi-Jax," Axel replied, folding his arms and shaking his head. "More importantly, it's not _yours_."

The anomaly looked back to the Nobody with exasperation.

"Just get outta here, will ya?"

Axel sighed and opened a portal. He turned and began to walk off.

"Axel…"

The Flurry of Dancing Flames looked back over his shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"I hope you're here to help me," Hi-Jax admitted. "And I want to believe that me, Ilxsa and Roxas have changed you for the better. Here's _my _advice to _you_…_don't _cross me, don't play games with me. I can bring you down in an instant and right now, I _don't_ want to. Because after everything that's happened, I am really sick and tired of hating your guts. I'm sick and tired of hating _everything_. Thanks for your help."

"Take care of yourself, kid," Axel warned in a dark tone, yet also showing 'concern'. The Nobody left and then faded out of sight, leaving Hi-Jax alone.

"What other choice have I got?" muttered the teenage exile after No. 8 had gone. Taking the H.J.F.M. out of his pocket, he turned it on.

"Wade, are you there?"

"_Hi-Jax, are you alright?!"_

"No, but I am really glad to see you. How are things?"

"_Everything's working fine. My computer's no longer corrupted, all my original software and data files have been restored, the world wide web is all fine, the worlds are fine…"_

"And all the data on that disc has been deleted?"

"_How did you know?"_ asked the computer genius, surprised.

"I'll explain later. I'm coming home. Now that we're back to square one, it's time I started doing something to change this godforsaken status quo. I'm heading off to the Underworld tomorrow and start looking into whether or not Kim is there."

"_I think that may have to wait. I got a call a few hours ago for you. It sounded pretty urgent. She wants you to ring back ASAP_._"_

"'She?'" asked the teenager, confused.

_

* * *

_Elsewhere…

"Uhhh…uhhh…wha…? Where…where am I?"

"Welcome home. My '_loyal' _sub-lieutenant."

A great chill suddenly travelled down Reflection's spine.

He woke up to see that he'd been rescued.

Only to be alive to know his _true _fate.

Reflection was back at Castle Oblivion.

Where the Silhouettes, Technicians, many more Heartless and some of Sharak's warriors were there surrounding him.

"No…"

"_Yes_."

The shape-shifter painfully looked up to see Sharak was standing before him.

"Well done, Ilxsa," congratulated the fallen emperor. "For bringing home consolation prizes."

"Thank you, master," nodded the Darkest Exile.

"It's good that I have warriors who do not fail me. Warriors that I can _trust_."

A tiny part of Ilxsa was rattled by that comment. She knew what was going to happen now. And it would remind her of what she had _vowed. And what would happen if she didn't honour it_.

"Everyone has to learn the _hard _way, don't they, Reflection?" began Sharak, eyes blaring bright red. "All who oppose me _suffer_, _die_, or _both_. It is _inevitable_. I would have thought your love for history and knowledge would _teach _you that."

Sharak grabbed Reflection by the shoulder with a clawed hand, his razor-sharp fingers cleaving deep into the shape-shifter's shoulder joint. The power of light was channelled into Reflection's being, intensifying his torture to excruciating levels, beyond his ability to withstand.

"Fortunately, all is not lost for us," explained the contaminated darkness, as Reflection continued to scream and whimper. "Even though all digital copies of your information have been erased, we still have some nice hard print-outs to aid us in the Darkness-Nothing War. Those new Heartless you've created have boosted my forces exponentially, the world you had the Heartless take for you has now become a wonderful new outpost for us, those stolen hearts will fuel my power, and the remains of the technology Ilxsa was able to salvage before your base was destroyed is surely a positive boon."

"Auto, GO-4...are you both online and able?"

"_Aye-aye, sir,"_ confirmed Auto. The diminutive GO-4 snapped a robotic salute to his new master.

"State your function."

"_New primary directive SR15 uploaded and acknowledged. The only way to ensure survival of all worlds and hearts is to follow Sharak and the world order. Kingdom Hearts will be seized and all renegade opposition to the central world authority will be terminated. This directive is followed without question."_

"Excellent, my new servants," 'smiled' Sharak as Reflection looked at his former master in agony and rage. "Thanks to _your _treachery, my empire is now growing and my power will soon be greater than it's been in months! Let me…_thank you_."

"NO!" screamed the shape-shifter.

Ilxsa looked away. The Heartless twitched as they watched. The warriors that were present all reacted differently. Some in fear, some in disgust (Miki just went 'hmm'). Reflection's screams echoed throughout the castle as Sharak devoured his heart.

What was left of his human body faded away into _nothingness_.

"Yes…YES!" jeered Sharak in excited triumph, as his mass and size began to grow in power. "Reflection's powers! With them, I shall finally be able to confront Hi-Jax and CRUSH HIM like the infant that he is! My New Era of Darkness is about to dawn again! I…!"

The light in Sharak's chest then exploded, dazzling his warriors. Clutching his chest, the creature fell to his knees, panting in tremendous pain as cracks of light began to spread all over his body.

"No…this mutation…something's wrong! I cannot…!"

Now it was Sharak's screams that filled Castle Oblivion. Unlike Reflection's though…his screams could be heard across the twilight sky…

Throughout the landscapes…

And beyond…

To all worlds.

"DRAKKEN!!! AUTO!!! MAGICA!!! HELP ME!!!"

* * *

Several hours later.

On the battlefields of a wasteland…

This world was once a proud beautiful land…until Keyblades and armoured men and women ruined it utterly and eternally.

Now it is a border point where darkness and nothing meet. It's the line that now fails to keep both sides at bay.

It's where Sharak and Xemnas' dominion's frequently clash, both sides trying to spread and conquer and naturally failing due to them being evenly matched, creating a deadlock.

But today is where things finally change.

The Heartless had crossed the border point. The Nobodies had been destroyed. All that was left were a few measly Dusks.

"Okay, boys!" rallied Shego, smirking in triumph. "This one's in the bag!"

Generating green plasma energy, she prepared to complete the victory with the Heartless.

"_Attention all Heartless units," _interrupted the telepathic communication. _"This is Sharak. All forces will fall back and return to Castle Oblivion immediately. DO NOT engage the Nobodies until further orders."_

"Fall back?" asked Shego, raising an eyebrow. "Uh…we're _winning _here, boss! That basically means we're finally about to _totally own _all the little white freaks who've been whuppin' our butts for the last few months and takeover. WE - WIN and hit the big time! And of course…us _running away_ means 'game over' and have to start _all over again_, which is REALLY…"

"_THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES TO ALL THOSE WHO DEFY ME, SHEGO!" _roared Sharak, his pain-filled voice rattling Shego's head, making her cover her ears. _"Reflection is the most recent fool to learn that. Now, your LEADER has SPOKEN."_

"Argh…nuff said, bossman," grimaced Shego, opening her eyes and shaking her head to deal with the after-effects. "_Jeez_…"

Turning to the puzzled Heartless, the mercenary ordered, "Okay, you heard the man! Fall back!"

The Heartless teleported away, leaving the few Nobodies left standing…the _winners_.

* * *

The Castle That Never Was.

All the remaining members of Organization XIII were assembled, sat in their thrones, the emergency meeting now in session.

"How could a forgotten specimen like that evolve into something so catastrophic?" pondered Xigbar. "Was he _that _desperate to try and prove he was a _somebody _after all?"

"It always depends on perspective," explained Luxord, drawing some cards. "On one hand, you have a proud king, a wild card. If you haven't used that card in a while, it may grow dirty but it's still the ace up your sleeve. Once a king, _always _a king. And on the other hand, merely a germ that was quarantined, festered and caused an outbreak, nearly claiming millions. Whatever the hand that's played, the gambler has a very high chance of winning with such a strong hand. The only things that can best that sort of strategy is a superior mind. Or luck."

"Yeah," nodded the Freeshooter, understanding. "_Beginner's _luck."

"That's exactly the point," came in Xaldin. "Hi-Jax is _no longer _a beginner. He should've realised that by now. Maybe _our _wild card has started becoming too _tame _to be of value in this game."

"That cannot be permitted," said Saïx. "It is his role to ensure the intended continuity of life. His power is more than sufficient, but if his heart is unreliable, we must step in."

"I'd say a trip to the woodshed is in order," smirked Demyx. "A little creep as rude, lazy and disobedient as Hi-Jax needs a severe spanking. Him and all others like him."

"Axel will still pay for the crimes that _he _has committed," decreed Xemnas. "But in due time. We should be thankful that Sora and Maleficent still know their places. With Kingdom Hearts soon to be in our grasp, we cannot afford to have _all_ our puppets cutting their strings. It is abominable we still have Sharak to contend with, and even more so that we actually had to form an _alliance _with him."

"'Subject: Reflection' daring to play us for fools and almost succeeding," remarked the Luna Diviner, "the Heartless mindlessly interfering with our goals, Sharak's chaos disrupting our natural order. Such madness beggars belief. It must be reigned in."

"That's what Hi-Jax is for," the Superior spoke. "But Demyx is correct. A trip to the woodshed is clearly in order."

Turning to Saïx, Xemnas ordered, "_Remind_ him so."

* * *

**_What's happened to Sharak? How has the tide of the Darkness-Nothing War changed so drastically? What plans will Organization XIII have in store?_**

**_And what's next for Hi-Jax? A long-awaited reunion and team-up with the Incredibles THAT's what!_**

**_See you soon._**

**_D.C. Wood (12/09/09)_**


	21. Chapter 21: Diagnosed With Syndrome

**_Author's note: I REALLY love this film. One of my all-time favourites. By all accounts, it's a PERFECT film. TRULY. Of all the worlds to use for this story, I'm really glad chose this one. I hope you enjoy this latest arc, too._**

**_D.C. Wood (09/10/09)_

* * *

**

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 21: Diagnosed With Syndrome**

Sharak could only remember the screams and the intense pain of light flaring up again. Only this time, he had been completely powerless to control it, to master the light within and make it submit to his will.

He had avenged Reflection's treachery by taking his heart and all the magnificent power that came with it. Augmenting Sharak's own almighty power with it would prove useful, and would turn the tide of the war in the fallen emperor's favour.

But the assimilation had clearly backfired. His destruction was imminent and only the frantic intervention of Drakken, Auto and Magica had been able to save Sharak from his destruction.

He had no idea how long he'd been out. When he came to, Auto had informed him that they had worked twenty-four hours to stabilize his condition. When Magica had shown Sharak his reflection, the creature was outraged.

He'd been confined to the castle laboratory, restrained and hooked up to a giant life-support machine, created by Vexen as a means of researching ways on what punishment the heart could endure and how it could be aided in that survival. Drakken and Auto (now with the Technician Heartless added to Sharak's ranks) had been able to extensively modify the machine to maintain Sharak's vital signs.

Sharak looked to see how even more pathetic he had become. Parts of his body were now exposed, with veins of light pulsating through his dark hide like they were about to burst at any moment. Half of his face had been covered in a cybernetic implant with the majority of his body being protected by high-tech armour plating. And it burned at him even more. The humiliation at the hands of Sora, Riku and King Mickey, Terron and Organization XIII, being made to beg and accept and admit his weaknesses. And now…being demoted to this crippled way of hospital living.

Sharak could see Xemnas, Sora, his former Council of Darkness…all those who had either opposed him or no longer wished to ally with him…he could see them all laughing. No one dared to mock the unmatched ruler of life. No one would or could ever have challenged him.

And now that had all changed.

The world itself was now rejecting Sharak as its master. Not the _people_, but the _world itself_!

Nothing and no one respected him anymore!

Nothing and no one _feared_ him anymore!

But that would all change again, Sharak had decided.

And once he had reclaimed his rightful place…Sharak would make all the worlds _suffer _for it like never before.

"EVERYONE!!!" howled the contaminated darkness, his eyes blaring intensely and sparks bursting everywhere. Sharak's rage was overloading his life-support machine.

"_Sir, desist,"_ advised Auto, rapidly inputting all manner of commands to stabilize and maintain control of his master's vital signs.

"My liege, calm down!" implored Drakken, looking more neurotic than normal, doubtless due to the toll aiding his master had taken on him over the last day. Producing a jar, he smiled in advertising fashion, "Take a chill pill! I made 'em myself! Twice a day, and you'll be totally relaxed! Three times a day, you'll forget whatever you got wound up about! Literally! Perfect for brainwashing! Scheme kinda backfired, but they still make effective…!"

Sharak actually broke free of his armour at that point. His right arm, tendrils of light ravaging his darkness, burst forward, grabbing Drakken by the throat and squeezing his scrawny neck, harder and harder until his face went purple…then white, as Sharak's eyes blared and his ravenous mouth grew. The fallen emperor brought his chief scientist closer and closer to him, getting ready to _eat _him.

"Mommy! Mommy!" choked Drakken in panic.

Magica raised her hands, channelling her darkness and trying to restore the harmonious balance in Sharak's being. Sharak's arm froze and he was made to release Drakken. The teary-eyed villain nursed his throat to try and get the circulation back. The natural colour of his face started to return as he darted to the control panel. Magica began to sweat and grimace as Sharak's arm shuddered, trying to free itself from the spell.

"He's resisting!" cried the sorceress. "The whole nature of his being has changed again! It's too much for my magic to _comprehend_! Let alone channel! Auto!"

"_Recalibrating,"_ notified Auto. _"Sharak is reaching critical mass. Reinforcing all shielding. Implementing dialysis system."_

"He's _melting_ the armour!" screamed Drakken, pressing his hands against his face in alarm. Turning to the mike, he barked, "ALL Technician Heartless to the laboratory immediately!"

The Heartless obeyed and immediately teleported into the lab. Brandishing their tools, they darted and pounced on their master, hammering, drilling, welding, soldering and tightening away at the machinery and the and Drakken frantically typed and pressed at the controls, altering all kinds of settings to try and stabilize their master.

Magica felt the burden ease, but the intensity of the light's new strength was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She was brought down to her knees seconds later, trying to help her fellows in containing the madness.

As Sharak's rage, insanity and pain began to slowly subside due to their sheer efforts, his thoughts began to clear.

All his servants were loyal to him. Risking life and limb to save him.

For _him_. Their _master_.

Sharak had never known anything like it before. Others saving his life.

And now he was starting to feel…_thankful_ to them. It was a bizarre feeling, allowing this emotion to develop within him. In the past, Sharak would have dismissed it as a weakness and cursed himself for allowing it to emerge in his consciousness. But things had changed so radically for him, that he now realised just how _useful _and appropriate the concept of gratitude was. And how he _should _be thankful for loyalty as rare as those to be found in his warriors.

Unlike Reflection.

Feeling better now over his betrayal and the curse of his legacy, Sharak welcomed the blissful darkness.

_Another _twenty-four hours later, Sharak finally came to.

The sight of Auto was there to greet him.

"_Captain."_

"Status…report," asked the contaminated darkness, groggily.

"_Aye-aye, sir."_

Auto pulled up all the diagnostic reports on screen for his master to view.

"_Data scans and tests from Doctor Drakken and Magica have confirmed the highest probability,"_ explained Auto. _"The assimilation of Reflection augmented your power. But the increase of the darkness factor simultaneously increased the light within by default. To a level beyond what the darkness could fight against."_

"The nature…of balance. The war…of opposites," understood Sharak, the after-effects of his traumatic ordeal starting to wear off. "I've understood and accepted everything Magica has taught me. Meaning that there is nothing more she can do to help me. I must change tact yet again. I must now learn to depend on _technology_. This machine of Vexen's. Can it sustain me?"

"_It has been extensively modified and rebuilt from its original design and purpose, sir. Theoretically, it will suffice."_

"'Theoretically' is not good enough."

"_There is a 54% probability of the machine failing in its function, depending entirely if you cannot maintain the required level of temperament. We have had to extensively modify the life support yet again since your last episode nearly destroyed it."_

Sharak's exposed eye narrowed in deep thought.

"This is unacceptable," declared the creature. "I cannot remain like this at such a crucial moment. I _need_ to get mobile again."

"_We are working on a solution_."

"What are these _scraps _of armour?"

"_Experimental components of Steel Clan robots acquired from the affiliation with Xanatos Enterprises," _explained Auto. _More highly resistant to maintaining your life signs as opposed to the regular robotics. Scans and tests show them impervious to heat and radiation, as well as being infinitely more resistant to gunfire and explosions."_

"Xanatos was working on similar armour for himself? Interesting."

"_The armour pieces are remnants of a prototype. There were not enough components to simultaneously sustain your vitals and get you mobile."_

"I think it's time to renew my dealings with Mr Xanatos," nodded Sharak. "But that can wait for the moment. Computer, status of forces."

"_Complying…"_

The screen flashed and the necessary data was displayed.

NAME: ILXSA

RANK: SECOND-IN-COMMAND

NAME: DOCTOR DRAKKEN

RANK: CHIEF SCIENTIST

NAME: MAGICA

RANK: SORCERESS/CHIEF-ADVISOR

NAME: AUTO

RANK: HEAD OF OPERATIONS/SYSTEMS ANALYST

NAME: SHEGO

RANK: WARRIOR/SUB-lieutenant

NAME: COLDSTONE

RANK: SOLDIER

NAME: WARP DARKMATTER/AGENT Z

RANK: SOLDIER

NAME: MIKI

RANK: TROOPER/INFILTRATOR

NAME: RIP SNAP

RANK: TROOPER/ATTACKER

NAME: GO-4

RANK: SERVANT/ASSISTANT

"_Your ranks have increased, sir,"_ noted Auto.

"That does not make my situation more favourable," countered Sharak. "Karall's death and Reflection's betrayal have been very damaging. Me being confined to this glorified hospital bed has turned the tide of the Darkness-Nothing War dramatically in the Organization's favour. It is only a matter of time before they discover my situation."

"_The print-outs of Reflection's data will maintain the deadlock ."_

"Of course they won't! I knew some of their secrets, they knew some of mine. They will have changed their defences just as I'm doing, rendering most revelations obsolete. And the secret of how they have acquired Kingdom Hearts continues to elude me!"

Remembering suddenly to maintain control, Sharak calmed himself and asked, "Where are Magica and Drakken?"

"_In recovery," _reported the robot wheel. _"Your episode drained Magica of her strength. The Doctor fainted shortly afterwards due to high stress levels."_

"Cretinous little…what has _Ilxsa _done during my situation?"

"_Taken temporary command. She has withdrawn all Heartless from outside worlds and had them return here. All defences and security are being upgraded. She has ordered a completely defensive strategy to ensure your protection until your recovery."_

"Reduced to hiding and running _again_…" seethed the creature in restrained fury. "Well, this will be the _very _last time. Where is Ilxsa now? I wish to speak with her at once."

"_Not optional at the moment, Captain. Ilxsa has intercepted transmissions from another world. One that Hi-Jax visited prior."_

Sharak was immediately revitalised with great interest. With growing excitement and dark delight, he asked, "We have a fix on his location?"

"_Confirmed. Our tracking system has been restored following the 'Reflection Incident'. We once more have his heart signature locked on the world 'Metroville.'"_

"And Ilxsa?"

"_She has come across the primary affair of that world. Her reports show that she has negotiated a business deal with a weapons manufacturer. Financial records confirm a great source of wealth. Such a deal will most likely result in Hi-Jax's capture and restore your mobility."_

"Assimilating Hi-Jax alone would solve all my problems," chuckled Sharak. "Ilxsa has done well in my absence. Anything else I need to be aware of?"

"_Artificial Heartless lines are in full production. Improvements on shields and defences of Castle Oblivion will be complete in 12.5 hours. Nobody activity is increasing in severity. Sora continues to defeat the Heartless. Maleficent's operation continues to spread."_

"And I sit on the sidelines, even more helpless than before…"

"_Orders, sir?"_

"Everyone will carry on with their duties. Ilxsa will be left in command of daily operations unless I say otherwise. Until I am fit to return full-time, I will step in only when I deem necessary. Pass a message along to Ilxsa that I must speak with her as soon as possible."

"_Aye-aye, sir."_

* * *

On the world of Metroville, Syndrome's Island.

"And _this…_is what it's all been leading to. Not bad, eh?"

"This is the final design of the Omnidroid?" Ilxsa asked.

"Your verdict?"

"Impressive. Truly."

The Darkest Exile had secretly been 'thankful' for the events of the last forty-eight hours. Her master had needed her more than ever and as his second-in-command, she had been expected to take charge. After everything that had happened with Hi-Jax in Port Royal and what she had done to Coldstone, the Nobody had allowed her work to override her, turning her back into a cold, unfeeling and logical creature, intent only on getting her heart back and carrying out the will of the creature that had saved her and given her purpose.

And her _memories_…

After Reflection's meddling had been undone, she'd been able to get a fix on Hi-Jax's heart again. Tracking him to this world, Ilxsa remembered that the teenage exile had visited this world prior. She had intercepted transmissions between Hi-Jax's contact Wade and one of Metroville's inhabitants, a Mrs Helen Parr. Further investigation had unearthed another plot being orchestrated by a man known simply as 'Syndrome'.

Ilxsa uncovered more about this Syndrome, discovering that he was a true genius and self-made millionaire, with technology that would prove of valuable assistance to Sharak. The Nobody contacted Syndrome shortly afterwards.

And Syndrome was immediately entranced by her silver tongue.

Syndrome was originally known as Buddy Pine. In the glory days of superheroes, Buddy had always prided himself on being the number one fan of Mr. Incredible A.K.A. Bob Parr. He had idolized him to the point where he actually wanted to fight alongside him as his sidekick 'Incredi-Boy'. Mr. Incredible had strongly disapproved of the idea of endangering the life of a young boy on a daily basis and dismissed him. Despite constant harassment from Buddy, Incredible wouldn't tolerate him.

"Fly home, Buddy. I work alone."

That had left him absolutely crushed.

And ultimately motivated him to build his empire.

Using his gifted knack for inventing and uncanny intellect, Buddy grew up to be rich, successful and powerful, everything he'd wanted. Yet he never got over the snubbing from his idol.

Keeping the best inventions for himself, Buddy became the super villain Syndrome, and plotted his master scheme. To rid the world of supers, and get his revenge on Incredible. Over the last several years, he had secretly recruited so many retired supers to work for him. But they were simply unsuspecting pawns. Test subjects to be used against his Omnidroid robots, highly-intelligent, deadly, powerful machines specifically designed to kill supers. Syndrome knew that Incredible was beyond any doubt the greatest super hero of them all. He would have to go through many destroyed designs and dead supers to get it worthy of facing the almighty Mr. Incredible.

But after so many years, Syndrome was ready to 'recruit' Bob Parr to resume hero work. To stop a super-advanced robot that they had lost control over due to its AI. Incredible had destroyed the robot, received a _very _hefty pay cheque, and went home none the wiser.

Syndrome had gone back to the drawing board.

Months later, the tenth and final version of the Omnidroid was finally ready. Difficult, major modifications having been made. But this time round, it had thrashed Incredible in seconds. He'd been called back to Syndrome's Island, learnt the truth and managed to escape. He'd later uncovered the full extent of Syndrome's ultimate scheme and was horrified by what he had done. Then he'd been captured and was now Syndrome's prisoner.

Ilxsa had explained her story and both could see afterwards that a deal would reap much bigger rewards for them both.

"And the AI is programmed to know its place?"

"Like I told Incredible," explained Syndrome modestly, "It was difficult, but _he _is _worth _it."

"And so in four hours, two minutes, twenty-three seconds time…" remarked Ilxsa upon the countdown, "Operation Kronos will be underway. Such intellect and perseverance, Syndrome…I find it…inspiring."

"Why, thank you, Ms. Ilxsa," bowed the super-villain in gratitude. "I think it's unbearably cool, if I do say so myself. Which I do, of course. Now, your story about the Heartless sounds very promising. I've seen all the news reports about them many times over the years, as well as these Nobodies. It's all very fascinating, I might add…but, um…what exactly do you need me for?"

"My master Sharak needs your technology. And he needs your aid in catching someone that goes far beyond the levels of super. Naturally, an exchange of funds between our parties will be beneficial and the Heartless and our own tech support will definitely be able to aid you in your enterprises…"

"Yeah, I was kinda hoping for all that," nodded Syndrome, enthusiastically, eager to get his hands on what Sharak could give.

"But also…" explained Ilxsa, pausing for effect. "There could be a place for you in _our _grand scheme of things if all goes well."

Intrigued, Syndrome smiled and rubbed his chin.

"I'm listening."

The Darkest Exile paused again to let Syndrome's interest blossom.

"Have you ever heard of Kingdom Hearts?"

Syndrome groaned and let a good-natured laugh.

"Oh, please! Not _that_ old myth!"

"From where _I _come from," explained Ilxsa, taking her hood down, "there're no such things as 'myth'. _Only - reality_. Do a _scan _on my _heart_."

Syndrome raised a perplexed eyebrow. And then shrugged, seeing no harm in obliging. Pressing a button on his left wrist control, he activated his probe. The small insect-sized device buzzed into life and levitated towards the Nobody, scanning her from top-to-bottom. Once it had finished, it returned to its master, reattaching itself to Syndrome's wrist band.

"_Life - reading, negative," _reported the device. _"Ilxsa - terminated."_

Syndrome's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped upon hearing the news. He looked right at Ilxsa with the same fixed gaping expression.

Ilxsa just remained stone-faced and unemotional.

"I take it I've just made you a believer," the Darkest Exile suggested.

Syndrome's smile returned. This went beyond fascinating for him. He was now overwhelmed with excitement.

"So there _are _other worlds out there," smirked the super-villain. "I always suspected _that_ little fairy tale to be true. And the theories of the heart. But all this Nobody and 'heart of worlds' whack…well, it never was whack at all, was it?"

"No."

"I've always wondered what it would be like to go beyond 'super'. If it was _truly _possible."

"Do we have an agreement then, Syndrome?"

"Let's go to my control booth to _properly _talk business, my dear," gestured the smiling villain as they moved away from the observation corridor. "That way Mirage can get all this down. First, tell me a little more about this Hi-Jax character."

* * *

"Right…so…let me see if I've got all this," began Hi-Jax. "Twenty-four hours after that late-night argument - which, YES, I _had _overheard - Bob was fired from his job after throwing his boss through the wall and nearly blowing your cover. Then someone contacted him and hired him to resume secret hero work. He lied to you, saying that he was being promoted and being sent out on a conference. He got bags of munny for it, then over the last few months, he became ten times happier, really got into shape, spent quality time with you, Vi, Dash and Jack-Jack, bought a brand new sports car etc. Then he was called out to 'another conference', _you _found out what he was really up to after noticing his old super-suit had been patched up and that he'd acquired new outfits from your old family friend and super costume designer…"

"Edna Mole," reminded Helen, nodding.

"Edna Mole," the anomaly nodded back, remembering, "then you rang up his old workplace to find out the truth and this Edna gave you a tracker to discover his location because she'd fitted homing devices into each of the costumes so that you could get the precise coordinates of each of the wearers at the touch of the button."

"That's about it," confirmed Helen, nodding intently as she looked on ahead.

"So we're now on a plane flying to…?"

"A charted volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, known as Nomanisan Island," Mrs Parr explained at the controls. "I don't know exactly _what _he's got involved into, but the plan is get in, find Bob and come home."

"Wade told me you'd tried to contact me five times," the teenage exile explained, sitting in the co-pilot seat. "Said you really needed me to call back. I can see why."

"First time I rang that number you gave me, the operator said that all phone lines were dead. I tried ringing again and again, then I found out all satellite and land lines were dead on the news."

"Yeah, long story that one. No longer a problem, though."

Helen and Hi-Jax then looked at one another.

"You weren't kidding when you told me you were calling in a solid 'ya owe me!'," remarked the eighteen-year-old, smiling.

"_You _gave me your contact details!" reminded Helen, grinning. "_You _said '_anytime_ you need a favour…_anytime_ you need my help…_just call_'. And believe me, Hi-Jax…!"

"That's something you can _always _count on," nodded the anomaly resolutely. "I will never forget that night when you took me in. That meant everything. I will _always _owe you and your family for what you did for me."

Helen smiled warmly at Hi-Jax, appreciating the vow, knowing how sincere it was.

"Right, time to offer a handshake," she decided, reaching for the radio. "Island approach. India Golf niner-niner checking in. VFR on top. Over."

No response came from the island. Only static.

"Island tower. This is India Golf niner-niner requesting vectors to the initial. Over."

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in strong dislike over the zero response. Helen was confused as to why the island wasn't answering. She then turned to her bag, paused uneasily and unzipped it, revealing the brand new super suit her life-time friend Edna had prepared for her.

It had been so long since Helen had put on a costume to fight the forces of evil. _Fifteen years._ She'd grown to love the nice quiet family life more than _anything_. She'd forgotten who she once was; Elastigirl, the courageous, feisty superheroine with serious spunk. Always up for adventure and at the top of her game. Whereas Bob had taken retirement and being forced underground harder than anyone, Elastigirl had been surprised by just how much she loved the easy complacent life.

And didn't really want to be called back into action.

Calming herself, she turned her attention back to flying and told herself, "Easy, Helen. Easy. Easy, girl. You're overreacting. Everything's _fine_. They're just…all getting coffee. At the…same…time. Yeah."

She looked to Hi-Jax, smiling optimistically.

The teenage exile just stared at her.

"I think you forgot to add '…right' at the end of that sentence," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Helen just sighed in despair. Then looked back at the bag.

Showing sympathy, Hi-Jax said, "Take five. I can take over." Helen locked her controls and Hi-Jax transferred full control over to the co-pilot seat. She took her bag, nodded graciously at the anomaly and went to the changing room to get dressed.

Hi-Jax had had experience flying Gummi Ships. Both he and Jaron when they served under the Council of Light. He knew how to pilot a vessel just as he knew how to teleport. So much training and schooling from the Council, making him the ultimate soldier and defender.

Equally as much torture and tampering from Sharak and the Organization to make him the ultimate _weapon._

Hi-Jax sighed, shook off his anguish and then returned his attention back to flying, wondering what exactly they'd find on this mysterious island.

Then he paused and rolled his eyes up in sharp attention. His nostrils flared, _smelling_ something that was _very _familiar. He hadn't noticed it before, during or after he and Helen had boarded and took off. They'd been flying now for approximately two hours and this was the _first _time Hi-Jax had noticed a change in the air.

_Curious_, thought the anomaly puzzled, looking back to the passengers' cabin.

Keen to test a theory, Hi-Jax switched on the automatic pilot and left the cockpit to investigate.

* * *

Everything that had led to this moment repeated itself in Mr Incredible's mind.

Buddy and his rejection of his insistence of being 'Incrediboy' had come back to haunt him in the worst possible way. He'd never have expected this in a million years. Bob had _truly _been sorry for treating Buddy the way he had done fifteen years ago, and even more sorry for underestimating his genius.

But he wouldn't accept responsibility for the crimes he had committed. And he couldn't overlook the sad excuses Syndrome had made for doing what he had done.

The full extent of Operation Kronos, all those heroes Syndrome had killed, merely for the sake of 'preparation', dismissing them all as pawns to be used and discarded…

Dozens and dozens of brave men and women, powerful and colourful symbols of hope, inspiring the world's populace, risking their lives and saving the day to make everything so much better…

All terminated and gone. _Forever._

Because of _this child_.

All of Bob's friends lost to the darkness, including his good friend Gazerbeam, a man who'd been lured to his death on the island and Bob had had to resort to the degrading act of hiding behind his corpse to fool Syndrome temporarily. Only Bob, Helen and Lucius were now left. The last remnants of a golden age.

In the Cell Block, Mr Incredible's containment unit opened up to reveal that his hands and feet were in advanced manacles, connected to an electrical field, keeping him suspended above the ground and rendering his strength practically useless. Mirage (Syndrome's fiancée and personal assistant) was there along with a guard, monitoring the control panels on both sides on the containment unit. Incredible saw Syndrome walking up to him, being accompanied by a newcomer in a black coat. His eyes narrowed in resentment.

"YOU, sir," began Syndrome, truly impressed in excitement, "truly ARE 'Mr. Incredible'. Y'know, I was right to idolize you. I-I always knew you were _tough_, but _tricking _the probe by hiding under the bones of another SUPER?! Oh, man! I'm still geeking out about it!"

Syndrome sighed and calmed down after his outburst of 'fanboy' excitement. Mr Incredible just glared at him.

"And then you had to just go and…_ruin the ride_," furthered the villain, his mood turning dark. "I mean…Mr Incredible calling for _help_?! 'Help me! Help me!'" Syndrome mocked his arch-foe when he said that, jumping and acting like a girl. Then his mood changed again, becoming darker and more frightening as he shouted, "Lame, lame, lame, lame, LAME!!! All right, who did you contact?!"

"Contact?" asked the confused hero, before he questioned back angrily. "What are you _talking _about?"

Syndrome glared icily at his former idol as he pointed to his henchman to one side of the containment unit. The guard obliged and fed a huge direct current into the electrical field. The voltage increase coursed through Incredible's body, making him cry out in fierce pain. Syndrome angrily watched his enemy's torture - _unblinking _- for a few seconds before signalling for his lackey to stop. The superhero panted and groaned from the effects as Syndrome casually explained.

"I am referring to last night at 2307 hours while you were snooping around…YOU sent out a _homing signal_!"

"I _didn't_…KNOW…" grunted Incredible fiercely, "about the homing device."

That part was indeed true. When Bob had originally gone to Edna for a patch job on his old suit, and she had insisted on creating him a new one, she had explained just how superior his new red and black costume was to the old Mr. Incredible outfit, but had forgotten to inform him about the homing beacon feature. It had gone off much to Bob's surprise (when Helen had activated it to locate him), during his escape from Syndrome's Computer. That had subsequently initiated the 'Intruder Alert' and led to his capture.

Syndrome wasn't buying the answer, though and coldly motioned to the guard to increase the voltage. The direct current was at 'DANGER' levels and Mr. Incredible screamed in larger pain for much longer. When the torture ceased, Syndrome furthered, "And now a _government plane_ is requesting permission to land here. WHO DID YOU CONTACT?!"

Still feeling the terrible effects of the torture, the hero groggily answered, "I didn't…send for…a plane."

Syndrome's patience had reached its limit. He was about to order maximum direct current when Ilxsa motioned for him to stop.

"Syndrome," she unemotionally began, "I'm _convinced _that, from _his _perspective, he's telling the truth. He didn't _willingly _or _knowingly _summon help."

Knowing that Ilxsa knew what she was on about, Syndrome threw his arm up in exasperation and ordered Mirage on the other side of the containment to, "Play the transmission."

Mirage pressed the space bar on her keyboard and the recorded message travelled out of the speakers.

"_India Golf niner-niner checking in. VFR on top. Over."_

Bob snapped out of the pain when he heard his wife's voice.

"Helen!"

"Oh!" smiled Syndrome with interest, coming over to Mirage's terminal. "So you _do _know these people. Oh, well, then…" His mood turned again with a sly chuckle, "…doesn't really _matter _anymore if you expected help or not. If you _know _them…I should send them a little greeting."

Mirage looked at Syndrome in _restrained _surprise and alarm as he flicked up a cover on the control panel and pressed the bright red button underneath it.

Ilxsa remained unemotional about the turn of events.

Bob's eyes widened with horror.

* * *

Back on the plane, Helen exited the changing room, now kitted out in her new costume, red and black with a bit of orange thrown in, with a dynamic 'I' emblem in the chest, standing for Incredible. For the first time in fifteen years, she was ready to be a hero again. Yet her mood hadn't changed. She was still very reluctant to resume this life again.

"Not bad at all, Helen," nodded Hi-Jax in approval.

Surprised to see the teenage exile in the passengers' cabin, Helen looked to him in surprise and growing alarm, "Hi-Jax, I thought you were…!"

"Relax, it's on autopilot. Here, let me take your bag."

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused and all too aware that something was going on.

"Just let me take your bag," insisted the anomaly gently. Seeing no harm, Helen obliged and handed the bag over to him.

"Okay. Let me just chuck it over…here!"

He turned and thrust the bag into the far left seat on the first row. Instead of landing right on the seat, the bag landed right in mid-air above the cushion. A childish "Ow!" followed immediately.

"Knew it!" exclaimed Hi-Jax, staring at the seat.

"Violet!" shouted Helen crossly.

"It's not my fault!" began the teenage girl as she turned visible, to reveal that she was also wearing her super outfit that Edna Mole had specially made for her. She threw the bag down to the floor and stood up to explain to her angry mother, "Dash ran away and I knew _I'd_ get blamed for it…!"

"That's not true!" burst out Dash, also wearing _his _outfit, as he popped up from the back of the cabin and sprinted to the front row.

"Dash!" yelled Helen angrily.

"_You _said, 'something's up with Mom and we need to find out what'…!"

The two siblings continued to 'explain'…or rather argue beyond Helen or even Hi-Jax's ability to understand. Needless to say, both of them were not pleased to see that they'd stowed away.

"…and it's not my fault!" finished Violet in his brother's face.

"Hundred percent all-yours, all-the-time idea!" accused Dash.

Violet folded her arms and looked moodily away from the rest of the group, hiding in her long black hair. Dash nearly fell out of the seat and panted for breath after his tirade. Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in disdain at the two of them.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute…" began Helen, letting everything sink in for a minute. "You left Jack-Jack ALONE??!!"

"Oh, why Mom, we completely forgot!" began Violet, sarcastically.

"No, we got someone, Mom!" assured Dash as he and his sister spoke at the same time.

"Of course we got a sitter!"

"We wouldn't do something like _that_."

"Do you think we're both totally irresponsible? Thanks a lot!"

"All right," conceded Helen, before reasserting herself, "well, who'd you get?"

Kari, the girl from next door.

Helen wasn't _quite _happy about the choice.

She rang home to tell her. Kari was enthusiastic, obsessed that she knew all the correct procedures of baby-sitting, saying that she had certificates, taken courses and knew CPR and was rambling about playing Jack-Jack a Mozart CD to make him smarter because 'Mozart makes babies smarter'. Helen was really having a hard time trying to get through to her.

Back in the passenger's cabin, the gloomy Violet was sulking behind her hair. Dash was taunting her, trying to kick start another fight.

"It _was _all your fault, you know," sang Dash.

Violet was having none of it.

"Why don't you just admit it? Like your crush on handsome Tony! Mwah! Mwah!"

"You're just a little creep," spited Violet.

"And you're just a…!"

Dash stopped in mid-sentence and turned his head. Violet noticed and angrily wondered why her brother had stopped.

Hi-Jax was glaring at them.

"What are _you _looking at?" asked Violet moodily.

"_Why _are you two even here?" demanded the teenager angrily as he menacingly approached them. "Are you both here for the heck of it or do you actually have a _reason _for stowing away? Can you tell me what it is? Do _either _of you even _know_?"

Dash and Violet looked at themselves, then down on the floor, then back up at Hi-Jax.

"What's it matter to _you_?" snapped the elder sibling.

"Because I _care _for this family, madam!" shouted the eighteen-year-old as he got in the girl's face, making her back away. "After everything your mother and father did for me that night, I've grown really fond of all of you, regardless of whether or not you actually care, seeing as how you're both obsessed with your _own _problems!"

Violet's face loosened with surprise. Confused, angry and somewhat ashamed, she just looked away, hiding in her face.

"Look at me, Violet! Are you both here because you actually _care _about what's going on with your parents? Or are you here simply because you're mischievous?"

"Oh, come on, Hi-Jax!" smiled Dash. "We're in cool outfits! About to head off…!"

"You think this is fun?!" the anomaly turned on the younger sibling. "Dash, if you had half a brain cell you'd focus only on _growing up_! I _told _you when we first met. You have _no _idea what I'm all about it, what this kind of life entails, and you'd have been much better off _not _knowing! Battling against evil villains and monsters! Trying to make sense of a mad universe! As you risk life, limb and heart for everything that's good!"

Dash backed away sheepishly as he looked to his sister, who also seemed taken aback by Hi-Jax's attitude. This wasn't at all like the Hi-Jax they'd befriended those few months ago.

The anomaly's lip started to quiver as he stood up straight and looked away from them.

"And it's even _worse_ for me," he explained softly. "Because _I_ risked life, limb and heart for everything. And I _lost _big time. My home, my family, my whole _world_…gone forever. _Never _to return. And that _sucks_. And I'm _still _expected to save the day. Which means it sucks even more."

Violet and Dash looked at the teenager and saw him take his shades off to reveal the tears in his eyes.

"What happened?" asked Dash.

"You're really better off not knowing," explained Hi-Jax simply, looking back at the two children again. "You're _both _far too young to be involved in this. If you _care _about your family, if that's the _reason _why you're here, then I owe you a huge apology. My advice is this…_don't _be idiots. Because all…"

"HI-JAX!" screamed Helen from the cockpit.

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in alert. He looked back at Violet and Dash, put his shades back on and rushed to join Mrs. Incredible, leaving the children in great suspense.

The anomaly looked at Helen and saw her pointing at the radar.

_Projectiles _were closing in on them from behind.

They both looked up towards the window with shock.

Two missiles sprang from the clouds, flying right towards them.

Helen and Hi-Jax looked to one another, then instantly sat down at the controls, putting on their headsets and quickly flicking switches.

"India Golf niner-niner transmitting in the blind guard," radioed Helen urgently. "Disengage. Repeat, disengage."

She flicked an overhead switch, and a light came on in the passengers' cabin, 'FASTEN SEAT BELT'. Dash and Violet snapped out of their state, looked in shock at one another and quickly began to strap themselves in.

"Firing chaff," announced Hi-Jax, and pressed the button twice in quick succession. The chaff deployed from the plane and successfully obstructed the missiles. Their velocity impeded, the two missiles behind the aircraft spiralled out of control. Helen jerked the plane violently to the right to narrowly evade the missiles heading right towards them. Unfortunately, the children hadn't strapped themselves down in time and the violent cabin movement made them bounce up towards the ceiling.

The plane continued to accelerate, but the missiles had recovered from the chaff confusion and had doubled back on the aircraft, along with the other two projectiles. Helen looked down on the radar to see them once more closing in.

"Helen, there's seven of them," informed Hi-Jax, having felt the total number of missiles with his telekinesis.

"Evasive manoeuvres," ordered Helen and together, she and Hi-Jax took joint-control and span the plane round horizontally in 360 degree fashion. They descended dramatically through the clouds towards the ocean, the missiles still relentless in their pursuit. Violet and Dash screamed as they bounced throughout the cabin.

The manoeuvres confused two of the missiles. Their attempt to close in on the plane for a direct hit had been thwarted. They spiralled out of control and thus collided with one another, exploding safely away from the aircraft. Back in the cockpit, Hi-Jax and Helen grimaced and grunted as they fought to bring the plane back up before they crashed into the sea. They managed to avoid death just in the nick of time. Another missile following them exploded right into the sea.

Dash and Violet had somehow managed to clamber up to the cockpit to see their mother and Hi-Jax fighting for all their lives. Both children were absolutely scared and bewildered.

"Another one closing in!" yelled the anomaly, looking down at the radar.

They both grunted as they hit a rough wave. Realising that they had to get away from the surface of the water, Helen yelled to her co-pilot, "Fire flares!"

"Firing flares!"

The flares fired into the air, confusing the latest missile. It changed course to intercept this new target right above the plane. Helen quickly grabbed hold of the booster and gave it full throttle. The thruster roared like never before and flew to get away from the next explosion. Hi-Jax grimaced again as he urged the plane to give them more height. They narrowly escaped death again in the form of an oncoming tidal wave as they struggled to get back into open skies.

"_Disengage! Repeat, disengage!" _radioed Helen as they fought for more altitude. _"Friendlies! At two-zero miles, south-southwest of your position!"_

"No!" begged Mr Incredible. "Call off the missiles! I'll do anything!"

"Too late!" smiled Syndrome apologetically, before elaborating sinisterly, "_Fifteen YEARS_ too late."

Back in the plane, Helen kept on the radio.

"Booster's dry!" updated Hi-Jax. "We're running on empty! Three more missiles left!"

"Disengage! Repeat, Disengage!" cried Helen desperately.

"Helen, let me try! _Island tower! Mayday! Mayday! India Golf niner-niner is bleeding! We are dangerously low on fuel! Bad weather has charted us off-course! Requesting vectors to the initial!"_

"Hi-Jax!" realised Incredible, recognising the sound of the voice his family had befriended months ago.

Syndrome raised an interested eyebrow over this latest development.

"Oh, so you know my partner's prey, do you? Interesting. Your move, Ilxsa."

Ilxsa turned to look at Mr. Incredible, then back to Syndrome.

"Allow me to speak with him."

"Repeat, friendlies are bleeding! Friendlies are bleeding!" lied Hi-Jax, hoping they'd take the bait. "Requesting vectors to the initial! Over!"

"_A commendable try, Adam."_

The teenage exile's eyes suddenly widened with dread. Helen wanted to be overwhelmed with shock and confusion over this new revelation. The voice was female, couldn't be older than Hi-Jax himself. And yet she was calling him by another name, and sounded almost lifeless in her tone.

"Ilxsa. Call of the missiles and I'll surrender myself to you peacefully and unconditionally."

"_Even with the fate of the entire world at stake? That is very daring of you, all for such insignificant little lives. That action would be most folly and suicidal on your part."_

"I don't care! These people have _nothing _to do with this! It all comes down to me and Sharak only!"

Helen quickly turned her head to Hi-Jax in confusion, wanting to ask what was going on, but knowing that this wasn't the time or place, she turned her attention back to flying.

"You _already_ know that it's _never _as simple as that," replied Ilxsa. "We're _all _allying with the inhabitants of other worlds. The sides of good and evil need all the help they can get to win this game. My colleague is trying to prove a point. So logically, in order to uphold a successful business agreement, I must let him go through with it. Which means you'll just have to deal with collateral damage."

Bob's eyes widened in shock. Syndrome's reaction was a mixture of impression and confusion.

"_Sharak wants me alive, remember?! These people explode, I'll be dust in the air, too! And THEN what are you going to do, eh?!"_

"I sincerely doubt that a mere explosion will spell the end for you, Hi-Jax," retorted the Dark Exile simply. "Your kind survives _those _with ease. It may incapacitate you momentarily, but all the better for the Heartless to pick up the pieces. It's always been logical that you survive this by _default_. If your friends really want to survive this, that's up to _them_."

Syndrome nodded in great approval over Ilxsa's cold logicality, whereas Incredible was absolutely horrified. Back in the cockpit, Helen and Hi-Jax tried their damnedest to fly the plane away from the missiles, but they were relentless. Neither knew how much longer they could hold out. The anomaly gritted his teeth in desperation. Ilxsa wasn't going to budge. There _had _to be a way to reason with her!

"Lisa…" he began, "if there is _any _trace of you left inside that cold, lifeless _shell_…any _real_ trace, any _proof_ that you're still that same sweet, _loyal_ friend who cared about all those around her…then you know that this is _wrong_. I am trying to _help _you! I'm trying to _save _you! DON'T do this! DON'T destroy yourself! Because if you do_, THAT'S IT!_ No more mister nice guy! I SWEAR that I will destroy you before you self-destruct! And that defies logic on _your _part! Most suicidal and folly! But there's no need for _any _of that! One last chance, Lisa, PLEASE! LET ME HELP YOU!"

Ilxsa's hand trembled. The tears were fighting hard to escape from her eyes. The emotions had never felt so…_real _before. Everything she had done since Sharak had found her and corrupted her…all contradictory to where…and _what _she had come from.

If she had her heart it would've hurt her so much.

But she didn't have a heart. That truth repeated herself in her mind.

Along with what she was _now_.

"I'm sorry, Adam. But it's far too late. We _all _know that. Goodbye…my friend."

Turning to Syndrome, she ordered, "Cease communications. Continue with the strike."

The sound of deathly static buzzed through Hi-Jax's headset.

"LISA!!!" he screamed in rage and despair.

"Hi-JAX, TALK TO ME!!!" yelled Helen.

"Keep flying the plane!" told the anomaly as he removed his headset and unseated himself. "Keep buzzing them no matter what! I'll take care of the missiles! I'll be in touch with you from outside! Expect the unexpected and _trust me!_"

"What are you…?!"

"TRUST ME!"

Hi-Jax ran out of the cockpit and teleported. Dash and Violet caught sight of it. They shouldn't have been surprised. After all, they remembered seeing Hi-Jax fight all those Nobodies back in Middleton, remembered seeing all that frightening power he wielded so easily. But they _were _surprised. _Terrified,_ in fact. They had stepped into his world, into their parents' world. Hi-Jax's shouting and warnings were finally starting to make sense.

And they'd now realised too late that the anomaly had desperately wanted to keep them _safe_.

Hi-Jax reappeared outside the plane and immediately caught sight of the nearest missile. He reached out to it with his Graviga magic and crushed it like a pancake. Seconds later, the projectile exploded, as the plane continued to manoeuvre spectacularly to try and escape the remaining missiles.

"Missile destroyed," reported Mirage, confused. "It's just…vanished off the radar."

"He's _very _good," whistled Syndrome in approval, looking back to Incredible. "Maybe I should've idolised _him_."

"Heartless squad, Steel Clan robots, move in and intercept," communicated the Darkest Exile.

Hi-Jax had just frozen another missile with Vexen's ice and had watched it plummet harmlessly out of the sky. He turned to the last rocket and was about to destroy it when a huge squadron of Aeroplane Heartless came into view and started bombarding him with fire. Hi-Jax immediately cast Reflega spells to repel the gunfire back at his enemies, and decided to follow up with a new move he had developed. Now that he evolved to a great Level, it was time to debut his new tricks.

He unleashed his formidable Agamemnon attack, doubling in mass and size and protected by an invulnerable aura, Hi-Jax ran in the air with fierce, powerful sword strikes, effortlessly carving through the Aeroplanes, dispatching them immediately upon contact. His footsteps created rippling shockwaves, catching the Heartless far away, leaving them easy pickings for the finishing Thundaga spell.

The Aeroplane squadron had been completely decimated. But Battleships were now emerging from the clouds, several of them. Hi-Jax greeted them with a Catharsis combo, letting the darkness within him consume his body, his rage ready to unleash. He flew in all directions, teleporting in and out of reality, attacking the Heartless squad with quick but powerful strikes. The Battleships soon burst into flames, and Hi-Jax (having done enough devastation) ceased his assault, paused in mid-air and the light then burst out of his heart, wiping clean the darkness from his being and making him a being of pure light. Now at peace, he summoned beams of light to bathe the Heartless and make them disappear.

Resuming his normal form, Hi-Jax surveyed his surroundings. The plane was now a considerable distance away, but the last missile was still after them. Hi-Jax just snapped his fingers, and his telekinesis made it stop. Then it disassembled the missile piece by piece. The components all hovered in mid-air for a few seconds, before they too dropped out of the sky.

_Helen,_ contacted Hi-Jax telepathically, _we're clear. Is everyone…?_

Three more missiles then emerged from the clouds.

_They've fired more! Great! Helen, they've fired more missiles! There's more enemies in the sky! Watch…!_

Then a flock of Wyvern Heartless took him from behind.

As four Steel Clan robots rocketed past.

_Ilxsa WANTED me to leave the plane!_ realised Hi-Jax as he used Larxene's daggers to carve up the new Heartless attackers. _Divide and conquer! And like an idiot, I fell for it!_

"_Hi-Jax, what's your status?!"_

"_There's too many! My magic's low and I can't beat them in time!"_

"Do what you can!" shouted Helen as she looked down at the radar to see the relentless bogeys coming at them. Speaking back into her headset, she tried once again to get the island to cease their hostilities.

"FRIENDLIES two-zero miles south-southwest of your position! Angels 10! Track east! Disengage, over!"

Turning to her frightened children on the floor in the passenger's cabin, Helen yelled, "Vi! You have to put a force field around the plane!"

"But you said we weren't supposed to use our powers!" cried out Violet.

"I _know _what I said! Listen to what I'm saying _now_! Disengage! Repeat, disengage!"

Helen spiralled the plane yet again to avoid the ever-increasing danger of a direct hit. When the plane was upright, Dash recovered from the buffeting and looked out the window to see two missiles.

And a frightening robot gargoyle coming into view alongside. The robot turned its head ominously to observe the child. Its red eyes blared and its computerised mind processed the message 'TARGET IDENTIFIED."

"Mom?" asked Dash with ever-growing fear. Violet had just seen the exact same thing on her side.

"Violet!" shouted her mother. The teenager began to panic uncontrollably.

"Mayday! Mayday!" pleaded Helen to the island. "India Golf niner-niner is _buddy spiked! Abort! Abort! There are CHILDREN sailing in! REPEAT, THERE ARE CHILDREN ABOARD THIS PLANE!"_

Mirage's eyes widened in shock over the news. She looked over to the helpless and despairing Mr. Incredible who screamed "NO!!!"

Hi-Jax felt the Wyverns' vicious talons tear away at him as he pursued after the plane. The Heartless were slowing him down, dragging and clawing at him. His magic had been drained though his powers were still enough to deal with the pests.

But not in time to save his friends.

He snapped a Wyvern's neck and impaled two more with his swords, but the growing realisation was that he wasn't going to save Helen and the kids.

"NO!!!"

Helen looked at the radar and out of the window. She'd used every trick in the book to throw off the pursuers but it had all been for naught. The missiles were now right alongside, too close to evade or outrun. The Steel Clan had now taken their positions around the aircraft, laser cannons opened and primed. One aiming for the cockpit, two aiming for the engines and one aiming for the thruster.

_Maximum_ termination.

"PUT A FIELD AROUND US _NOW!!!_"

"But I've never done one that big before!"

"Violet! Do it NOW!"

Helen looked to her left to see that the missile was closing in.

"Abort! Abort! Abort!" she tried desperately.

Then she looked in front to see a red light in the robot gargoyle's cannon glowing brighter and brighter.

_Dead ahead._

Violet tried to conjure up a protective shield for her family. But she was scared and unsure. It kept dissipating.

Hi-Jax disposed of the last Wyvern and grimaced as he closed in on the plane.

Helen could see the missiles almost touching the blip on the radar.

"ABORT! ABORT! _ABORT!!!_"

Violet failed again miserably to make a shield big enough.

Hi-Jax got closer and closer, thinking, _Please, not again! It can't happen again!_

Helen looked up to see the Steel Clan Robot fire.

Violet looked up wide-eyed to see that she'd let her family down.

One second before oblivion, Helen darted out of the cockpit and formed herself into a cocoon to protect her children. The instant she'd done so, the plane blew up, the missiles and laser fire having all hit the aircraft at the precise moment simultaneously.

The robot gargoyles retracted their energy weapons and scanned the explosion for life-signatures. None were detected, not even Hi-Jax's. They remained motionless, awaiting their instructions.

Ilxsa radioed them to stand down and return to base. They flew away from the devastation, their mission complete.

Out of the funeral pyre and showering of debris, a round, bouncy red and black cocoon fell from the explosion. Helen had been told by Edna that her new costume was virtually indestructible. The claim had been proven correct. It had saved her life for sure, and those of her children. However, the sheer force of the explosion had knocked her out. She unfolded, releasing Violet and Dash, yet remained unconscious.

The cold air and the rush of their descent brought Helen round. She gasped at the watery grave getting closer and closer, and the sight of her screaming children as they all fell together. Stretching her limbs, she quickly grabbed hold of Violet and Dash and tied herself round them before finally taking the form of a parachute.

The moment their descent came to an abrupt halt, Dash and Violet's screaming did also. Now completely at a loss for words, they looked up to their mother's head on top of the parachute.

"Brace yourselves!" she told them.

They gently hit the waves seconds later, landing with the safest of splashes. Helen untied herself from her children and returned to her normal shape. The kids spluttered and coughed, trying to keep their heads above water.

"Mom!" cried out the kids.

"Everybody _calm down_," instructed Helen. "Now, first of all…Hi-Jax? Hi-Jax, where are you?!"

His body hit the ocean just a few metres away from them. Then slowly sank

"HI-JAX!" screamed Helen as she and the kids swam over to where he'd landed. They were just about to dive when the teenager came up, coughing and spluttering and without his shades, but nevertheless revitalised.

"Are you…?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. He'd taken the brunt of the explosion and was visibly charred, but only superficially. "The burns will heal in seconds."

"How in the world did you survive that?!"

"That's me all over. Defying logic and doing the impossible."

"Right, now kids," said Helen turning to her children, "as I was saying, we're not going to _panic_, we're not gonna…LOOK OUT!!!"

She grabbed their heads and pushed them right under sea level. Both Helen and Hi-Jax had seen what was left of the cockpit about to land right on top of them and immediately swam for their lives. With Helen pushing them out of the way, they managed to avoid being crushed just in time. They all heard the sound of the impact and immediately turned round to see what was left of the jet fall in the water. Violet and Dash swam for the surface, whereas Hi-Jax and Helen stayed submerged for a moment, to observe the wreckage plummet to its watery grave. The friends looked to one another, then headed to the surface. They gasped for air, welcoming it into their lungs and turned to see Dash and Violet panicking.

"Whose idea was this, anyway?!"

"What are we gonna do?! What are we gonna do?!"

"We're dead! We're _dead_!"

"It blew up!"

"We're survived but we're _dead!_"

"Stop it!" shouted Helen and Hi-Jax in unison, splashing water into both their faces. Dash and Violet coughed and spluttered then looked to their elders with alarm.

"_First rule_ of the job!" snapped the anomaly. "You do _not_ think that! Not _now_! Not _ever_!"

"We are _not _gonna die!" said Helen, raising her voice, having had more than enough. "Now _both_ of you will _get a grip_! Or so help me, I will _ground _you for a month! UNDERSTAND?!"

Violet and Dash, both taken aback and fearful, did as they were told.

* * *

Back in the Cell Block on Syndrome's Island.

"We have a confirmed hit," reported Mirage, he professionalism on the verge of crumbling over how secretly distraught she was. "Target…was destroyed."

Ilxsa remained unchanged. Mr Incredible was emotionally destroyed. The report sank in painfully. His family were all dead. Along with all his friends. He was now completely alone, with nothing left but memories.

All because of him.

Syndrome noticed Incredible's sorrow and said, "Aw, you'll get over it. I seem to recall you prefer to 'work - _alone'_."

Syndrome laughed cruelly to further mock his arch-nemesis. Bob slowly looked up at this little man who had taken _everything_ away from him. Bob was no longer blaming himself, he was blaming Syndrome, who felt _zero _remorse for what he had just done. He sneered in rage and saw the villain with his back turned, walking away with his laughter growing louder and louder. Incredible rocked back and then prepared to lunge forward.

Mirage gasped, realising that Incredible wasn't trying to break free from the containment unit,

He only wanted to grab Syndrome.

The villain with his back still turned had no idea what was going on. His laughter stopped when he felt Mirage push him out of harm's way. He landed hard on the ground and angrily stood up to see that Incredible had Mirage in a bear hug.

Ilxsa just observed the latest development with curiosity. She already knew what Bob would do having already seen it inside his heart. The real matter was wondering how _Syndrome_ would retaliate.

"Release me," ordered Mr. Incredible. "NOW!!"

Fear began to grow in Mirage's heart. She was known for being a proud, confident woman who didn't scare easy. Yet she'd never experienced anything like this.

Syndrome's eyes narrowed in disdain.

"Or _what?_" he challenged.

"I'll _crush _her."

"Hmm, that sounds a little _dark_ for you," remarked the villain casually. "Ah, go ahead."

Mirage gasped again in alarm. Incredible remained fierce in his voice and expression.

"It'll be _easy_. Like breaking a _toothpick_."

Syndrome chuckled, then looked menacingly into his adversary's eyes and dared, "_Show_ me."

Ilxsa looked at Syndrome, seeing the evil in his eyes, the sincerity in his voice. He was truly willing to sacrifice the woman he loved to get the better of his nemesis. The Nobody could see the darkness growing in his heart, threatening to devour it. It could potentially change the whole agreement radically, in a way that may suit Sharak better.

Incredible immediately hesitated when Syndrome had challenged him like that. Heroes never took lives, not even those of villains. Compassion and morality were what separated them from the forces of evil. Killing Mirage would only further reinforce Syndrome as the winner. It would also disrespect the memory of his wife and kids and go against everything he and they stood for.

Syndrome could see all this in Bob's eyes. They widened and widened as he slowly realised the enormity of what he was doing.

Then Bob closed his eyes in surrender and released Mirage.

She looked at Syndrome in a mixture of relief and anger. Then at Bob in fear and sadness.

"I _knew_ you couldn't do it," snorted the villain at the hero with his head hung low in shame. "Even when you had _nothing _to lose. You're _weak_! You're no threat to me at all!"

Syndrome turned to leave with Ilxsa, concluding with, "And I've outgrown you."

"I too had foreseen this outcome, Mister Parr," confessed Ilxsa over her shoulder. "Which makes it even more of a shame. You could've made a fine _Heartless_."

Mirage followed also along with the guards. She bit her lip and looked back at Bob, feeling more shame than she'd ever felt in her life.

Bob, left alone in defeat, despair and loss…began to cry.

* * *

Back in the ocean, Helen looked up to the sky, noting the vapour trails the missiles had left.

"Those were short-range missiles. Land-based. _That _way is our best bet." She pointed out a direction.

"Can't smell any Heartless," said Hi-Jax. "I reckon they've left us for dead, which should give us the element of surprise. Land can't be that far away, either. If we make good time, I reckon we could be walking dry by nightfall."

"You want to go _toward _the people that tried to kill us?" asked Dash.

"If it means land…yes."

"You expect us to _swim_ there?" asked Violet.

"I expect you…" began Helen, initially looking ready to shout again, before breaking into an optimistic smile, "to _trust _me."

Hi-Jax smiled and levitated out of the water. The kids looked up at him in awe. Helen smiled at the teenage exile as he hovered before them.

"Mother knows best," reminded the anomaly as he nodded at Mrs. Parr.

She nodded back at him with equal respect and admiration.

Moments later, Helen had stretched herself into the shape of a dingy. The smiling, confident Dash was lying down at the back end, his powerful legs kicking away. Violet sat huddled in the middle, lost in deep thought.

Hi-Jax flew alongside the Incredible speedboat, nodding to show how impressed he was at Helen and indeed Dash. He was beginning to find a new level of respect for the lad. Helen also looked back at his son, raising an eyebrow of approval.

All except Violet looked out to sea, full speed ahead.

Along the way, Hi-Jax brought the family up to date on the Heartless and Nobodies. He held back on a few key details like his past and where he came from. When they first met, he'd told Helen that he'd simply lost everything a long time ago. He'd tell her the whole story later, but right now, it was best to notify her about the important details so they knew the extent of what they'd be fighting. Like that Ilxsa was a Nobody of the highest authority, serving Hi-Jax's ultimate nightmare, Sharak, who was going to other worlds to recruit villains to aid him in his quest for ultimate power and conquest.

Helen remained silent over the explanations, knowing that Hi-Jax meant every word he was saying. This was deadly serious indeed. And Helen responded like she had done throughout her career. She was going to face the evil with him.

"After all, that's what supers do!" she beamed optimistically. Hi-Jax smiled warmly at her.

Sure enough, the group made good time. And by nightfall, they'd landed safely on the shore of Syndrome's Island. Hi-Jax's feet touched sand and he helped Violet disembark and pull the 'Incredi-boat' out of the water. Helen unfolded, her tired limbs and torso relieved to finally return to their natural shape after so many hours. She floppily dragged herself onto dry sand and breathed in exhaustion, at last back in her normal form.

Dash was just as tired. He slowly trotted onto the sand and collapsed on his back by his mother, absolutely shattered.

"What a trooper," Helen smiled warmly. "I'm so proud of you."

Helen clasped his hand and squeezed it affectionately. Dash returned the squeeze and smiled back tiredly, "Thanks, Mom."

"Well done, slugger," nodded Hi-Jax in approval as he knelt down beside him and offered a high-five. Dash smiled and wearily raised his hand to accept it. Hi-Jax stood up and gave him a thumbs-up.

Then he looked at Vi, who had seen the praise Dash had received and deserved. And that had clearly made her feel even more ashamed and regretful of what had happened on the plane.

"Violet," called Hi-Jax, walking up to the girl and putting a gentle arm round her shoulder. "C'mon, let's go find some shelter. Then we can get a fire going."

* * *

Later, the Parrs had taken refuge in a cave, all sat round a fire. Hi-Jax had gone to scout the island.

All was silent for a long while, until Helen at last looked up to her children.

"I think…your father is in trouble."

"If you haven't noticed, Mom," said Vi anxiously, "we're not doing so hot, either."

Helen was about to say something when they heard footsteps coming down the cave.

"Guys, it's me," Hi-Jax's voice echoed. Helen stood up to greet him.

"So what's it like out there?"

"Whoever owns this place is seriously loaded. The stench of armed guards is everywhere, and I saw a few staged in various outposts. There're all kind of hover transports patrolling, too. But the main attraction in this amusement park is a monorail about two miles north-east from here. It courses all the way throughout the island. We follow it, I reckon we can inside the big train station and find Bob and whatever else is going on here."

"Can't you just teleport inside?"

"No. Potentially, my power is unlimited but I can still tire. If I rely too heavily on my powers it could cost me my heart. Also, when it comes to teleporting I have to know for sure what corridors are available to me. Otherwise I'd materialise in walls. Ilxsa would be expecting something like that anyway."

"Can she know for sure you'd survive an explosion like that?"

"She's cold and calculating. She'd be expecting me for sure. You guys, she doesn't know. So your cover is more or less assured. Long as we keep our heads down for long enough, we'll be fine."

"Right," nodded Helen affirmatively. "I'm going to look for Bob. Hi-Jax, will you come with me?"

The anomaly nodded resolutely.

"Then that means you're in charge until I get back, Violet."

"What?!" protested Dash.

"You heard her," his sister smiled, revelling in it.

Helen knelt down and reached into her bag that she'd been able to rescue from the plane. She took out her mask and put it on. Then she handed two more to her children.

"Put these on," she told them. Dash eagerly obliged, whereas Violet looked at hers hesitantly.

"Your identity is your _most valuable _possession," explained Helen. _"Protect _it."

Hi-Jax winced when she said that. It reminded him once more of his own failure to protect his former identity of Adam, son of Mahanah.

"And if anything goes wrong…use your powers."

"But you said never to use…" began Violet.

"I KNOW what I said!" yelled Helen in frustration. She clenched her fist, trying to maintain her composure. She sighed and knelt further towards them, wondering how best to explain the situation to them.

"Remember the bad guys on those shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings?"

Dash and Vi smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, these guys…are _not_ like those guys. They won't exercise restraint because you're _children_. They - will - _kill_ - you, if they get the chance."

The kids' expressions changed into those of silent horror.

"Do _not _give them that chance."

"But…but I'm only fourteen," said Violet, the fear in her voice plain as day. "Dash is only eight. We're…we're…"

Helen looked up to Hi-Jax and nodded. The teenager was surprised, and gave a face that said "Are you sure?" Helen nodded again, insisting on it.

Turning to Vi and Dash, the eighteen-year-old knelt down and asked them, "Do you know how old _I _was when I was dragged into this?" He paused for tension and then answered, "I was _six_."

The revelation made the kids gasp in disbelief.

"I was eleven when I was saved from the darkness and made a soldier of light. By the age of twelve, I was fighting monsters and nightmares all over the _world_. And if it sounds like it sucks, then that means it does. No childhood should _ever_ end prematurely. That's not a fate I wanted for either of you. But a time comes when sooner or later, _everyone _has to fight at a crucial point in their lives. When it becomes time to determine once and for all who you _really _are, who you're _going to be_ now and forever. And that doesn't necessarily mean doom and gloom for you two. You've got great power and enormous potential. _Both _of you. You have a home, a family, innocence and all the love the world has given. You have all the tools you need. You've both made me a believer. And I know that your parents feel _exactly _the same way."

"Mom?"

"Vi, I'm counting on you," Helen told her daughter.

"There's something I have to…"

"I'm _counting _on you. Be strong."

The teenager looked at her mother with intent eyes.

"Dash, if anything goes wrong, I want you to run as fast as you can."

"As fast as I can?!" he beamed ecstatically.

"As fast as you can," smiled Helen, rubbing her nose against Dash's own in love. Then she hugged both her children tightly. "Stay hidden, keep each other safe, I'll be back by morning."

She and Hi-Jax stood up, nodded to one another and ran off to embark on their mission.

They had just left the cave mouth when…

"Mom!"

They stopped and turned to see that Violet had run after them, looking ready to burst into tears.

"Mom, about what happened on the plane…" she stammered, "I…I'm sorry. I wanted to help…I mean, when you asked me to…I'm _sorry_."

Helen shushed her daughter and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"It isn't your fault," she soothed. "It wasn't fair for me to suddenly ask so much of you."

She then placed her hand on Violet's cheek and gently lifted her head up. Vi opened her teary eyes and sadly looked at her mother, still feeling responsible.

"But things are different now," Helen continued. "And doubt is a luxury we can't afford anymore, sweetie. You have more power then you realize. Don't _think_. And don't worry. If the time comes, you'll know what to do."

Helen smiled and tucked half of Violet's hair back behind her left ear. Then chuckled, "It's in your blood."

Elastigirl then took off, leaving Violet feeling different about herself.

"What is it that you fear most, Violet?" asked Hi-Jax gently. "Failure? Or falling in battle?"

Turning to the anomaly, she answered, "Failing. More than _anything_."

Hi-Jax smiled and said, "You're a daughter of champions. The first of a new generation of heroes for this world. You've no _need _to worry."

"And Hi-Jax?"

"Yeah?"

"We're here because we care. Both me _and _Dash."

"I know," he nodded apologetically. "I should've seen it in your hearts sooner. I'm sorry I was so hard on you both earlier. Please forgive me."

"Already done," she smiled. "And we know you care. Dash thinks you're cool, regardless."

Hi-Jax smiled in contemplation. He then snapped his fingers, making his shades reappear in his hand, before finally putting them back on.

"I've gotta go. Tell Dash I'm sorry. Go get 'em, Vi."

He left with a thumbs-up, sprinting to rejoin Elastigirl.

Violet looked down at the mask still in her hand.

She thought back to everything her mother and Hi-Jax had told her.

Her confidence and resolve were now beginning to grow.

_Never again_, she vowed.

She put her mask on and looked up to the stars. For the first time in her life, Violet Parr was ready to face the world.


	22. Chapter 22: Operation Kronos

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 22: Operation Kronos**

In the Observation Booth overlooking the Launch Bay, Syndrome admired his masterwork. His whole life had been leading up to this glorious moment, where he would far surpass his idol. In less than an hour, Operation Kronos would be underway. The Omnidroid was being readied for transporting to the rocket, any and all potential threats had been played and fallen, Mr. Incredible was broken and his prisoner, a complacent and unsuspecting world would be vulnerable and subsequently ready for what was about to happen…

And now, with an alliance with the mighty Sharak in his favour, Syndrome had won big time.

And it was all because of his own intellect. And how well he had played the game.

The super-villain smiled in deep satisfaction. And in awe of all his own work.

"He's _not _weak, you know."

His train of thought broken, Syndrome turned to Mirage, who had made that remark. The disdain in it was noticeable Ilxsa had recognised. And the disdain was aimed at the super villain.

"What?" asked Syndrome confused.

"Valuing _life_ is _not_ weakness."

"Oh, _look_," began Syndrome as he approached his fiancée, chuckling to make light of the situation, "if you're talking about what happened in the Containment Unit, _I _had _everything _under control…"

"And _disregarding it_…" continued Mirage coldly, looking over her shoulder so her partner could _see _her emotion, "is _not _strength."

"I called his _bluff_, sweetheart. That's all," Syndrome explained gently, as he tried to kiss her. "I _knew _he wouldn't have it in him to _actually_…"

"_Next _time you gamble," snapped Mirage, swatting off his romantic attempt and shoved her clipboard hard into his chest, "bet your _own _life."

She got up and left the room, leaving Syndrome to stare at her in total confusion.

_Why'd she do that? Can't she see that I'm always two steps ahead of Incredible? That there was nothing to be worried about? And why's she making such a big fuss over this NOW? When we're about to get everything the world can give?_

"Mirage _does _raise a valid point, Syndrome," remarked Ilxsa, coming forward. "Many people get their strength from their hearts. Such resolve and compassion can fuel heroes to do great things. Even though those weaknesses can be easily exploited. Those who use hatred and cruelty for their aims can be just as successful, yet arrogance is what allows them to fall to overconfidence, naivety and defeat. Both good and evil have advantages over the other. Only time will truly tell which is the superior force."

Syndrome turned to face her scornfully.

"That's wussy talk, Ilxsa. And you _know _it. Or rather, you should. You haven't got the _heart _for it."

"My lack of a heart allows me to point out what is _transparently logical_. And _I've _seen the outcome _many _times. Which is why I've made _my _choice. That does not mean I should not be cautious or aware of potential threats."

"If you're so logical…why do you deem it necessary to stick your nose in domestic squabbles where it doesn't belong?"

Ilxsa stared at Syndrome and cocked her head to one side. The super villain was correct. Ilxsa would never normally discuss trivial matters like this. They were distracting and meaningless to her logical mind, amounting to nothing but a waste of time.

_Why am I thinking like this? Is it Adam again? Sharak returning to me my memories? No…I am reading Syndrome's reactions to test his suitability to aid us. The darkness in his heart is growing. More control and discipline, like those found in Xanatos' heart, is what he lacks, despite his genius._

_Yes. THAT'S why I'm doing this. To be sure._

"Very well," the Darkest Exile replied. "If you believe you can handle Hi-Jax when he arrives, then I will trust your judgement, despite my logical warnings. I will report to Sharak regarding the status of Operation Kronos. Heartless teams will be on standby to follow the Omnidroid when it reaches the mainland."

"So when do I get to meet him?" asked Syndrome, intrigued.

"After the operation has succeeded and Hi-Jax has been assimilated. He will want to discuss fully your idea for getting him mobile again. Then you'll get your reward. And position in the new world order."

"Good, good…"

Ilxsa left. Syndrome stared at the Unknown intently.

_You're a real mystery girl, you know that? Coldly disregarding life one moment, knowing who people really are, how they will react…yet reaching out to people. Showing a CARING side._

_You're just like me._

_Probably why you did what you did with that Hi-Jax character. Knowing he'd survive, not bothering to find his remains…knowing he'd come._

_Just to let him know how much you REALLY care._Deep in the Wild Jungle, Hi-Jax and Elastigirl had traversed through the wilderness with no mishaps. The cover of darkness and their mastery of stealth further helped their discrete passage. Following Hi-Jax's lead, they had soon found the great stretch of monorail two miles north-east from the cave.

* * *

They took a moment to survey the giant bridge structure, and then Hi-Jax shushed Helen. He could hear the sound of a monopod approaching on the track. They turned accordingly to face the vehicle about to zoom over their heads.

"You fly behind," whispered Helen. Hi-Jax nodded and got into position. Elastigirl readied herself, and timing it just right, lunged into the air as the monopod was directly above her. Her arms stretched accordingly and she tagged the vehicle beautifully, gaining a sufficient hold and letting it propel into the air for the free ride. Hi-Jax gently took off into the air, flying right behind the car.

Meanwhile, Elastigirl focused on her next move. Still making sure she had a hold of the monopod, she swung in and out of the oncoming support beams, alternating her gripping hands whilst doing so. Before facing the third beam, she'd gathered enough momentum to swing up on top of the vehicle, safely out of the driver's viewpoint.

Adopting a squatting position, Elastigirl looked out to the beautiful landscapes before her, bathed in night sky and moonlight. She turned to see Hi-Jax smiling and flying alongside her, matching the car's speed.

"Nice," he nodded in approval.

"Thanks," she smiled, nodding back.

Before too long, the sight of a great big complex came into view. It was magnificent, complete with hangers for storage and jets, helipads for airborne patrol vehicles, military and research facilities and enough private quarters for the island's host and his private army.

Elastigirl and Hi-Jax looked to one another as they approached the Evil Lair, wondering just what Bob had gotten himself into. Hi-Jax then noticed the sound of a helicopter-like vehicle approaching and motioned for Helen to drop to the side. Helen quickly obliged and Hi-Jax decided to stop flying and grabbed onto the other side of the monopod. The patrol vehicle passed over them, not noticing anything peculiar. Hi-Jax looked up at the aircraft with the ducted fans attached on both sides, scanning the heart of the pilot.

_So that thing's called a Viper. Fans on the side twist to control the altitude and movement. Nice design and engineering._

Moments later, the tremendous speed of the monopod had gotten Hi-Jax and Elastigirl inside the Evil Lair, undetected. Hi-Jax smiled and gave Helen a thumbs-up, but her attention was fixed on something else. Curious, the anomaly also turned round. The sight made his eyes widen.

The Launch Bay was awe-inspiring in terms of size and scale. However, the two friends only caught a glimpse of it before the monopod entered a tunnel. Still clinging on to the car, they looked at one another, both deciding simultaneously that _now _was the time to get off. Helen let go, her elastic body adapting the form of a parachute so she could gently land on her feet. Hi-Jax gently levitated himself away from the monopod and landed by Elastigirl's side.

The two friends stared at the monopod as it faded away into the distance. Then they noticed a light behind them getting brighter. They turned, gasped and Elastigirl just barely managed to flatten herself against the tunnel wall to avoid being seen, and more importantly, avoid getting hurt by the next monopod. Her panic-stricken eyes, slowly looked to her left to see the second car whiz deeper into the darkness. She removed herself from the wall and returned to her normal shape and size and sighed in relief.

Mrs Incredible turned to see that no more monopods were coming down the tunnel. Then looked around her to wonder where Hi-Jax had gone.

"Hi-Jax!" she whispered fiercely. "Where are you?"

"Right here."

Elastigirl turned in surprise to see him teleport back into reality. Hi-Jax also sighed in relief as he rejoined the awe-struck super heroine.

"That was cutting it a bit too fine, wasn't it?" the teenage exile remarked over their near-miss.

Helen simply nodded in wonderment and answered back, "Uh-huh. Did you see that launch bay we just passed?"

"I did. Let's check it out."

The walk back to the observation area overlooking the launch site was only a few kilometres away and thankfully, no more monopods came their direction. Elastigirl and Hi-Jax looked intently at all the work going on below.

But that wasn't the thing that really caught their attention.

"A rocket?" said Helen in surprise.

"What are you naughty boys up to?" asked the anomaly as he looked intently into the nearest, most accessible enemy heart.

"What are you doing?" asked Mrs Incredible, confused.

"Think of it as telepathy, only more effective."

Helen stared at the teenager in a mixture of fascination and fear.

"Just how many powers do you _have_?"

"Far too many," replied the eighteen-year-old, darkly. "Okay…apparently the owner of this whole joint is some costumed, rich nutter called Syndrome. He's using the rocket to transport…a _robot_?"

"Robot?"

"Something called an Omnidroid 9000. It's the perfected design after a long series of prototypes. Apparently they've…"

Hi-Jax stood up straight, his voice trailing away in horror.

"No way."

"What is it?" asked the super heroine.

"It's all been an elaborate set-up," began the anomaly in growing anger and disgust. "That murdering filth…he's been doing this for years just so he could…?! That psychotic, worm-eating…!"

"What is it?!" Helen fiercely pressed again.

"He's been luring heroes to their deaths," explained Hi-Jax, turning to her with his lip quivering in rage. "All those supers from the glory days…he used them as collateral damage. All as a means to develop the ultimate robot to defeat Bob. Then he's going to launch the final version to attack Metroville. He'll kill MILLIONS. Then step into shut it down, thus becoming the 'saviour' of the people."

Helen froze in horror.

"It's all one cheap publicity stunt. That's what's going on. That's why he hired Bob. Just as a pawn in this sad little game."

The enormity of the news slowly and painfully sank in for Helen.

"_All _our friends? Vectress, Gamma Jack, Blazestone, Apogee…"

"_All _gone," confirmed Hi-Jax, taking off his shades to reveal the truthful sorrow in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Elastigirl buried her face deep in her hand, grappling with her despair. She, Frozone and Mr. Incredible were the last of their kind. All their freedom and rights, their hope and justice, everything they were and stood for…lost forever.

Hi-Jax placed a sympathetic hand on Helen Parr's shoulder, knowing all too well what it felt like. The super then raised her head, displaying a renewed vigour and realisation.

"No," replied Mrs Incredible, resolutely. "_I'm _still here. So's Lucius, Vi, Dash and Jack-Jack…"

She then turned to the teenager.

"Is Bob still alive?"

Hi-Jax nodded, "Cell Block 14. Just a few wings away from here."

"Right. We get Bob, then we get out of here and get back to the kids. Let's move."

* * *

Two armed guards were patrolling the hallway together, ever-ready and on the alert. Everything was quiet and boring. No disturbances or breaches of security to be found.

Except that they hadn't looked _up_.

Elastigirl had stretched herself out across the ceiling, wedging herself between two arches of the hallway. She eyed the guards as they passed and then once they'd passed, she dropped down to the floor without even making a sound. Once the guards had passed through the automatic doors at the end of the corridor, Hi-Jax faded into existence and rejoined his comrade.

"No cameras, no guards to worry about," reported the teenage exile, sniffing and looking around. "We're fine for the moment. This way."

Following Hi-Jax's lead, the two adventurers continued to make their way down the necessary passages, avoiding detection from guards and any security systems, with Wade providing necessary support. They continued their infiltration for another twenty minutes, when they entered the main hallway that linked the science wing to the weapons testing area. It was then when Helen saw a reflection of herself in the hallway mirror.

She saw her buttocks and hips and sighed over much they'd grown due to fifteen years of forced inactivity and three pregnancies.

Once again, Hi-Jax found himself trying so hard not to laugh.

"It's not _that _bad," he remarked, smiling.

Surprised, Elastigirl turned to the eighteen-year-old and raised a surprised smile.

"Y'know, in the short time I've known you, I get the impression that you haven't smiled or laughed as much since you met my family."

"And for that I'm thankful," admitted the anomaly. "Used to smile and laugh when I was a child. Things have changed too much in my life."

"Well, whatever happens," said Mrs Incredible as they carried on their way, "if you ever have children yourself you'll realise the differences between now and then. _Believe _me!"

Elastigirl laughed good-naturedly, but the comment made Hi-Jax freeze on the spot in despair. Mrs Incredible noticed this and her smile gradually fell to a confused look.

"Hi-Jax, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"

Hi-Jax gave a pain-filled sigh and then slowly carried on walking.

"Helen…" he began, knowing that they had both grown to trust one another implicitly, "I'm going to tell you the impossible now. I have actually been a father before."

"What?!" exclaimed the heroine in shock. "When?!"

"Doesn't matter," the anomaly continued in sadness. "It was all taken away from me before it could even begin. My wife, my daughter, my home…_everything_. I know what it's like to lose all that you stand for. All that you believe in and hold dear."

"I…I'm so sorry," consoled Elastigirl putting her hand on the teenager's shoulder. "I had no idea…"

They stopped walking and Elastigirl began to study Hi-Jax properly for the first time.

"You are _such _a mystery, kid," she said. "You've got a real mean streak in you, which _now _I'm starting to understand. Yet you've also got a heart of pure gold buried deep underneath that dark exterior. Was it this…Sharak? That guy you told me about earlier?"

"He started it all. He took everything away from me. Then I started over. And then that was all undone…by more monsters. Who want everything."

"And yet you're _still _standing after all that," remarked Helen in amazement. "You still smile, you still laugh. You've been able to find friendship and never lose sight of who you are. Most people would either cave in or be obsessed with revenge."

"That's why I'm afraid," confessed the anomaly. "After having gone everything that I've gone through…I've wanted to get my old life back. No monsters, no darkness, no suffering…did it once before, then it was right back to square one. The result is me being bitter, and not wanting people to get too close to me. Otherwise, they suffer as well. Then I think about you and Bob, those great kids you've got…and all the other friends I've made on my travels…how they've all made me better…now it's got to the point where I don't know if I can face losing any more family."

Helen gently caressed Hi-Jax's cheek and lifted her head up so their eyes met.

"You can't live your life in _both _hope and fear, Hi-Jax," soothed Elastigirl. "A day will come when you have to chose one or the other. And frankly, you're much better off living in hope, no matter how hard of a path it is. But the trick is that you don't walk down roads on your own. Everyone needs help. That's why _we'll _help you. Everyone you befriend will."

Hi-Jax remained silent for a moment before sadly answering back, "When my old life died, all of that died too. Every time I think otherwise, I've just been set-up to look like a total idiot."

"Then you're just living in despair, fooling everyone you talk to and help, and facing an early grave. Then when that happens…you're left wondering 'what's the point?' And I know 'quitter' isn't the word that applies to a tough kid like you. Or hypocrite for that matter. Or stupid."

Hi-Jax thought deep about Elastigirl's words. The super could tell by the change of his expression that he'd now had a realisation.

"What will you have left if you give up on happiness, huh?"

"My mission," the teenager explained. "To make sure no one in this whole wide world suffers like I've done at the hands of these egotistical bullies."

"Well, that's a good place to start," nodded Elastigirl, confidently. "Now, you've just got to build on that. Because all missions must end. And I'm talking about happily ever after here."

"That's what all my friends keep telling me."

"Then it's time you started listening again. People wouldn't be telling you these things if they didn't believe in you."

"Why are you helping me, Helen? It isn't safe to…"

"Please!" she grinned optimistically. "I'm a pro! And _you _helped _us _when you didn't have to. Now, chin up and let's get moving. I really don't wanna smack you round the head for being such a moaner."

Hi-Jax raised another smile. "Whatever you say, ma'am."

They carried on walking down the Connecting Tunnel. It spanned several kilometres and was very cavernous, walls and ceiling plated in military-grade steel. Hi-Jax could sense hearts of nearby guards and hidden security cameras. Both Elastigirl and Hi-Jax were easily able to hide from guards coming their way. As for the cameras, Hi-Jax merely snapped his fingers so that they would record nothing but static.

They were halfway down the Connecting Tunnel, no guards to worry about…

When Ilxsa faded into view before them.

Hi-Jax sneered as he and Elastigirl assumed battle stances. The Darkest Exile, with her hood up, merely snapped her fingers and summoned a squadron of Heartless. A new Emblem breed that Syndrome had helped create. Short, stocky dark creatures dressed in grey military attire, with combat helmets and armed with laser rifles.

"Troopers, take them," Ilxsa ordered.

"Good luck, sweet no-heart," taunted Hi-Jax. The Nobody cocked her head to one side. The urge to clench her fist in anger was overwhelming to her now. Lisa would never have taken an insult like that. Especially from her friend.

Which she had spurned.

Her cold logic soon resurfacing, she merely answered back, "Ignition, Hi-Jax. Ignition and blast-off."

She teleported away. Elastigirl's eyes narrowed at the new creatures before her.

"Are _these _the Heartless?"

"Yeah. And we've got to be quick."

As the Troopers raised and lowered their weapons, switching between assuming defensive positions to standing at ease, Hi-Jax and Elastigirl slowly looked up to note the distant, but potent sound of a rocket's engines boosting into the night sky.

"It's started," gasped Mrs Incredible.

Then the tunnel boomed with the automated sirens and call of 'INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!" Both looked to one another in confusion, wondering why the alarm had gone off when Ilxsa had _already _caught them. The Troopers opened fire and Elastigirl quickly evaded the blasts, stretching and contorting accordingly. Hi-Jax used his Reflega magic to repel the shots, and summoning his swords, leapt to engage.

"Go rescue your husband!" ordered Hi-Jax, dispatching two of the creatures with one sword swipe. "The Detention Area is just beyond the Weapons Testing. Remember he's in Cell Block 14! I'll catch you up in a minute!"

Elastigirl quickly and evasively fled the battle, respecting the anomaly's wishes. She was about to exit the Connecting Tunnel when hesitance took over. The super looked back at the sight in Hi-Jax, worrying about whether or not he'd be alright. The anomaly terminated another Heartless and gave her a quick reassuring smile.

The message was clear. _"You all believe in me, don't you?"_

Elastigirl smiled back, nodded, and darted off to rescue her husband.

* * *

Ilxsa waited.

Waited in the shadows outside the Containment Unit for Mirage to arrive.

_Why have I done this? _The Darkest Exile pondered. _When I felt Hi-Jax's heart arrive on the island, why didn't I notify Syndrome immediately? Why did I choose to let him and that Parr woman get this far? And why did I create this distraction before I anticipated that intruder alert?_

_This Mirage woman has clearly had a change of heart. But there's more to it than Incredible sparing her life and Syndrome's ruthlessness. I don't know the full story, but whatever it is…I'm being corrupted by it. That's why I'm defying logic by helping HER. To understand this bizarre development._

_I have no heart, yet Hi-Jax is making me feel like I have one. Just like I'm making him feel that he doesn't have one. We've both changed so much since this story started, and many more changes will lie ahead, the more we interact between ourselves and other worlds._

_Will this lead to our destruction or salvation?_

_Whatever happens…Sharak will certainly play a role in deciding both our fates. THAT is a foregone outcome._

* * *

The door to the Containment Unit opened.

It had been a long lonely night for Mr Incredible.

Now, it was morning, and it didn't make the slightest difference to him.

Mirage paced up to the control panel and deactivated the electrical field. Incredible fell to the floor, his manacles opening to a heralding 'hiss' of released carbon dioxide.

Looking over her shoulder, Mirage cautiously ran up the steps and knelt down to tend to the fallen hero, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"There isn't much time," she began, but before she could continue, a hand of titanium steel wrapped instantly round her neck and jaw.

"No, there isn't," agreed Bob coldly, tightening his vice-grip on Mirage as he ominously stood up, lifting the assistant off the ground with her feet dangling. "In fact…there's no time at all."

"_Please_!" choked Mirage, her face wracked with fear. She could see that there would be no rationale or mercy in Incredible this time.

"_Why_ are you here?" Bob demanded angrily. "How can you _possibly_ bring me lower? What _more _can you take away from me?"

"Family…_survived _the crash…"

Bob just sneered and carried on strangling her.

"They're _here_!" Mirage choked out. "On the island!"

"They're alive?" gasped Mr Incredible. His fingers lost feeling and he let go of Mirage. She fell to the floor, rubbing her throat, coughing and spluttering to welcome the air back into her lungs.

Bob sighed and smiled over the news, the relief overwhelming him. Looking down to Mirage, he brought her to her feet and embraced her in gratitude. Mirage also smiled and returned the embrace.

Then she gasped in surprise.

Bob looked to the exit.

His wife was standing before them in shock.

"Helen?" gasped Bob in surprise as he and Mirage both released from their embrace.

"Hello," smiled Mirage sheepishly, dusting herself off before walking forward to offer a handshake. "You must be Mrs Incred…"

Helen's extended fist cut her off, landing square on Mirage's jaw. She staggered and fell to the floor, seeing stars.

"She was helping me to escape!" explained Bob, gently grabbing his wife's wrist.

"NO!" corrected Helen angrily. "That's what _I _was doing!"

Bob reeled his wife closer and closer towards him.

"Let go of me! Let go of me, you lousy, lying, unfaithful _creep_!"

Bob cut her off with a deep, passionate kiss. Still holding her in his arms, he smiled, "How could I _ever _betray the perfect woman?"

"Oh…" replied Helen, unconvinced. "You're referring to _me_, now?"

"Yes, he is. His heart's telling the truth."

Both husband and wife turned to the doorway to see Hi-Jax running up to greet them, obviously having dealt with the Heartless.

"Hi-Jax?" smiled Bob, happy to see the teenager.

"None other, Mr Incredible," saluted the anomaly. "Now, Helen, I know he lied to you, but rest assured, what happened _here _was simply…"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, HI-JAX!" yelled Elastigirl right in the teenage exile's face. "ALRIGHT?!"

Hi-Jax backed away slightly and timidly replied, "Whatever you say, ma'am." Turning to Bob, he asked, "You alright, friend?"

"I am now," nodded Bob, gratefully. "Where are the kids?"

"They might have triggered the alert," informed Mirage, rubbing her jaw.

"What?!" exclaimed Helen.

"Where are they now?" asked Hi-Jax.

"Security's been sent into the jungle," explained Mirage as Bob helped her to her feet. "You'd better get going."

"Now our _kids _are in danger?!" asked Helen as she and Bob sprinted off.

"Hey if you suspected danger, why'd you bring 'em?" asked Bob coolly.

"We didn't bring 'em!" snapped back Helen. "They stowed away, and I don't think you're striking the proper tone here!"

Hi-Jax looked to Mirage, who was surprised that the anomaly was still here.

"Why did you do it?" asked the teenage exile, intently. "Why did you _degrade_ _yourself_ by working for…_falling in love _with cheap, butchering filth like _him_?"

"He's attracted to power," explained Mirage seriously, not hiding her shame over the part she had played. "So am I. It's a weakness we share."

"Take it from an expert, Mirage. Power is overrated. Life _isn't_."

"I know that…Hi-Jax. For what it's worth…I'm sorry. For _everything_."

In the past, Hi-Jax would've either hit someone who dared to say sorry after what they had done. All those lives they'd helped destroy. But his experience with Jack Sparrow had taught him so much about _grey _areas. And the anomaly could see inside Mirage's heart that she was more than willing to atone for her sins.

And sympathetic towards Hi-Jax for how _he'd_ suffered, after Ilxsa had briefed her.

Hi-Jax nodded and replied with, "For me, apology accepted."

He turned and sprinted off to join his friends. Before he left the door, though, he looked back to Mirage and said, "And for what it's worth, Mirage…thank you."

Syndrome's assistant nodded at the teenager as he ran to catch up with Mr and Mrs. Incredible.

* * *

Ilxsa had watched the whole altercation in the Containment Unit. After Mirage had left, she had decided to teleport to Metroville, leaving it best to Syndrome to sort _his _mess out. The Darkest Exile had reported to Sharak earlier with complete details of Operation: Kronos, as well as an evaluation on Syndrome's genius and instability. The fallen emperor liked what he'd been shown, and praised Ilxsa for her sterling command work in Sharak's absence. The contaminated darkness issued her with her instructions and standby procedures.

Now, she was in position, on top of a building overlooking Metroville City Hall. The rocket had been successfully launched, all the boosters and components had detached and the ship carrying the Omnidroid had crash-landed right in the heart of the city, causing mass hysteria for the public and traffic, and naturally bringing the media, police and military flies out of the woodwork.

_Everything's falling into place it would seem, _Ilxsa observed. _The peril of Violet and Dash Parr will naturally bring their parents and Hi-Jax altogether for Syndrome to collect. Sharak will get his cure, Syndrome will have his career launched, the Organization will fall, Kingdom Hearts will be ours, all worlds will be our dominion…and I will finally have my heart._

_Just as I planned all along._

_Yes…THAT'S why I helped Mirage and didn't alert Syndrome. To play them all to lead us to this moment._

_Logically…I should keep telling myself that._

Ilxsa paused and removed her hood. She sighed and looked down at the masses below, all focused on the 'unidentified flying object'.

_Look at them all_, she remarked. _Ordinary people just living out their lives, not expecting madness like THIS. All just living out their lives…working, homemaking, raising families, indulging in trivialities, no need or want whatsoever to explore the mysteries of the world and what darkness and light are out there._

_If I had a heart…I would envy all of them._

_Logically speaking…that's what I should do._

The Darkest Exile snapped her fingers, summoning Surveillance Robots and Devastators into position.

_Any moment now. Any moment now._

* * *

Back in the Jungle on Syndrome's Island, Hi-Jax and the Incredibles continued their quest, each answering the other's questions while sprinting.

"I should've told you I was fired, I admit it," conceded Bob. "But I didn't want you to worry."

"You didn't want me to worry?" repeated Helen, angrily. "And now we're running for our lives through some godforsaken jungle?!"

"You keep trying to pick a fight but I'm just happy you're alive!" smiled Bob ecstatically. Helen refused to let go of the scowl on her face.

"She said they were in the jungle," Elastigirl turned to Hi-Jax, "but _where_ in the jungle?"

Hi-Jax opened his eyes and sighed, turning to Helen, "Violet's got her shields up. Dash is in close proximity to her. Whatever's happening, her force field's blocking my heart-probe, stopping me from getting a fix on her. Which means they're both _alive_, but that's all I know."

"So you're saying we just keep running and hope we get lucky?!"

"Any other ideas?!"

* * *

"I _know _you're there, Little Miss Disappear!" barked the commando firing shots from his assault rifle. His team had immediately been dispatched after the bird alarm had sounded deep in the southern region of the jungle. Surveillance had immediately captured footage of two children dressed like Mr Incredible, running in panic from the alert. The crack team, piloting their elite Velocipods (round hover cars with four spinning blades that moved at high speeds to keep them airborne), soon had the children surrounded and at gunpoint.

They hadn't expected the girl to turn invisible or the boy to dart off at near sonic speed.

The commando had ordered his team to get the boy, whereas he had stayed behind to search for the girl. It had been an impossible task. He'd fired bullets at rustlings in bushes, splashes of water and kicking of stones, hitting nothing. Which only made him more on edge.

That was when Violet had made her move.

A big branch levitated off the ground and knocked the rifle out of the commando's hands. Surprised, he turned to see the huge stick hit him hard in the stomach, winding him and leaving him open to a strike on his back, knocking him to the ground.

Turning visible, Violet smiled at her fallen foe. She and Dash had been forced to vacate the cave the night before after nearly being roasted alive by a torrent of flame. Then they'd seen the rocket fire from the distant volcano, soon realising that the cave had actually been some kind of giant exhaust tube. The siblings had spent the rest of the night sleeping in the jungle, where upon waking up, their curiosity with a strange 'bird' had set off an alarm, forcing them to flee.

The men with guns soon arrived. Remembering what their mother had told them, Violet ordered Dash to run, while she turned invisible.

Using their powers and _not _giving these bad guys a chance to kill them.

Determined not to fail again after the plane explosion, Violet had spent the night practising. She'd acquired a good confidence in her abilities now. And it was helping her stay alive.

But the commando was tougher than she'd expected. He quickly recovered and tripped the teenager up with his fist. Violet fell to the ground and dropped her stick. She then sharply looked to see the trooper reaching for his weapon. Gasping, she quickly got up to her feet and darted for the river, turning invisible. The commando opened fire again, determined to get her. He saw the giant splash in the water and spread gun fire across the stream as he halted on the edge of the bank. The invisible Violet huddled herself tightly, narrowly avoiding the bullets, trying to remain calm and keep her breath.

"You can't hide from me!" shouted the trooper as he picked up a handful of dirt and threw it into the water. The dirt scattered, the flow of the stream making the cloud expand. The bloodthirsty guard patiently pointed his weapon at the direction of the dirt.

It soon scattered across a disturbance in the water, revealing a small invisible body.

"_There _you are," grinned the commando sadistically.

Dash dashed past him, knocking the gun out of his hands. The thug fell surprised and then turned again to hear the sound of someone quickly getting out of the water. Dash then charged at the commando at full speed, sending him crashing and spinning to the ground.

Dash had also quickly grown more confident in the heat of battle, discovering powers he never knew he even had. Whilst on the run from Syndrome's minions, he'd been able to run across water, evade gunfire and strike grown men with strong, rapid fists, making him a master hand-to-hand combatant. His phenomenal speed had allowed him to outrun his pursuers spectacularly, making many of them crash and burn.

Having survived his ordeal, he quickly sped back to try and find Violet and was horrified to see someone trying to kill her. From Dash's viewpoint, Violet may have irritated her, but he still loved his big sibling.

"Don't touch my sister!" yelled Dash as he pounced on top of the soldier, evading his strikes and retaliating with fierce jabs of his own. The commando somehow caught Dash's fist and punched the boy off of him. Dash flew far and high, landing hard against a nearby rock. He groaned from the pain.

And then quickly turned in shock to see the man standing with his gun in hand.

He cocked his weapon and pointed at the boy, who closed his eyes and shielded himself pitifully in face of the end.

Violet turned visible again and shrieked at the sight of her brother about to be gunned down. She leapt off the branch she was perched on and brought up a force field to protect both her and her brother from the oncoming hail of bullets.

Dash was thankful to her sister for saving his life, and Violet was likewise to her brother earlier. But both of them were much more surprised at the moment to see Violet actually suspended in mid-air, floating in the force field.

"How are you _doing _that?!" exclaimed Dash in awe.

"I don't know!" answered Violet, equally amazed.

"Whatever you do, _don't stop_!"

Dash turned round and started to roll the force field like a hamster ball. The enraged guard screamed insanely, refusing to stop firing at the impenetrable shield as it just rolled off into the distance at an impossible speed.

The IncrediBall tag-team move proved highly effective. The super siblings charged through the jungle like an unstoppable juggernaut, ploughing through all obstacles. Velocipods were locked onto their position and moved in to intercept, but they merely bounced off the powerful IncrediBall, crashed and exploded.

Faraway, Hi-Jax, Bob and Helen skidded to a halt, hearing the distant explosions. Everyone tried to focus on the sound, pinpointing exactly where they had come from. Hi-Jax immediately noted that some hearts had just vanished. He'd felt them only briefly, recognising their scent as that of the enemy. And then they'd just died in the nearby explosions.

The teenage exile turned to the direction of where he'd last smelt them.

His eyes widened in surprise at the most extraordinary sight rolling fast towards them.

"GUYS, LOOK OUT!!!" the anomaly yelled, instinctively jumping out of the way. Bob and Helen weren't quite so responsive and found themselves being literally flattened by the IncrediBall. Hi-Jax quickly regrouped and flew after the children.

"Violet, Dash, stop! It's us!" he called out to them. Confused, Dash looked over his shoulder to see the anomaly chasing after them.

"It's Hi-Jax! It's Hi-Jax!" he yelled excitedly to Violet, who was concentrating on the bizarre, yet familiar faces that were rolling (and grunting) round and round the IncrediBall.

"Mom! Dad! Hey!"

Violet immediately dropped her force-field and the four members of the Parr family rolled across the ground for a few more metres before halting in a heap. Hi-Jax caught-up and landed beside them, smiling over the happy reunion, bright smiles, laughs of joy and great group hug.

"Kids! You're alright!"

"Oh, God, you're alright!"

"We were so worried about you!"

"I'd thought I'd never see you again."

"Guys," interrupted Hi-Jax with a stern look directed to the sky, "really sorry to disturb this moment, but…"

A squad of Velocipods popped up to surround them all. The Parr family quickly parted from the group embrace and readied themselves. One Velocipod moved in for an attack dive, but Elastigirl spectacularly kicked the pilot out of his seat from a distance. Another Velocipod dived in but Mr Incredible crushed it with his fist, making it crash and roll. Hi-Jax then screamed as he teleported in and out of existence, striking the hover vehicles one-by-one with Larxene's daggers and then finishing them off by freezing them with Vexen's ice, making them plummet and shatter.

Elastigirl then knocked out the vehicle-less pilots out colds with multiple, elastic kicks and punches. And then Mr Incredible grabbed hold of the Velocipod he'd immobilized earlier, span it round-and-round on the spot and then let go. It collided with the last Velocipod, where they both exploded and fell to the ground with another massive eruption.

Both Violet and Dash shielded their eyes from the light of the bang and then looked up in awe at Hi-Jax, who simply nodded, impressed by Bob and Helen, who in turn looked to one another in wonder and together sighed, "I love you."

"Wow…"

"Whoa…"

The parents turned to their wide-mouthed children, who had probably never realised just how cool they were. Then the Parr family turned to Hi-Jax, equally impressed by him. He smiled and bowed, "At your service, friends."

Then they turned to see more Velocipods home in on them.

Hi-Jax and the Incredibles assumed their battle stances.

"Bring it on, darlings!" jeered the anomaly, smiling. "Welcome to the Jungle! You're going DDDDDOOOOOOWWWNNNN!!!"

Brandishing his light and dark swords, he ran off to attack the nearest hover car, ripping it apart in seconds with powerful, ungodly strikes. Dash sped round and round in circles, kicking up enough dirt to create a massive whirlwind that sent more Velocipods spiralling out of control. Violet summoned more shields around the guns of the attacking vehicles, rendering them completely harmless against her. Elastigirl sent two far-reaching punches and an elongated kick that disabled three pilots. Mr Incredible got underneath one Velocipod, ripped its pilot out from its seat and knocked him unconscious…

"WHOA!!! WHOA!!! HEY!!! TIME OUT!!!" cried Syndrome, firing shots of his trademark zero-point energy from his gauntlets to instantly immobilize and isolate the heroes.

In the calm of victory, his men regrouped and had their weapons aimed at the captive intruders.

"What have we here?" enquired Syndrome, intrigued over his prizes. "Four matching uniforms? One teenager with cool dreads and shades?"

The villain studied the Incredibles first. All the heroes were completely paralysed, totally unable to move any part of their anatomy except their eyes.

"Oh, _no_!" exclaimed the crazed super villain upon recognition. "_Elastigirl_? You _married _ELASTIGIRL?!"

Syndrome burst into a crazed chuckle, then abruptly stopped when he saw the kids.

"And got BUSY! It's a whole _family_ of supers! Looks like I just hit the jackpot! And _this _odd one out must be the much vaunted Hi-Jax! I've got the whole set in one fell swoop!"

Hi-Jax's frozen sneer and evil eyes remained locked on the super-villain who just laughed goofily like a nerdy collector as he triumphantly cried, "Ohhhhh, this is just too good!"

* * *

Back in the Containment Unit, Syndrome was flicking through all the news channels on his massive TV. The sight of the ship and the still-dormant Omnidroid had naturally been breaking news, essential worldwide television.

The Incredibles and Hi-Jax were all shackled and help captive in the electrical field. Syndrome behaved crazed and childishly while explaining his plan, hyping it up like it was the start of a brand new TV show. All the Parrs just glared at him with nothing but contempt. Hi-Jax on the other hand, just looked away completely unimpressed and bored out of his mind.

"Huh? _Huh_?" asked Syndrome to his prisoners, wanting their opinion. "Oh, _come on!_ You've gotta admit this is cool! Just like a movie! The robot will emerge dramatically, do some DAMAGE! Throngs of screaming people! And just when all hope is _lost_…!"

Hi-Jax let loose with a big yawn. The Parrs all turned to look at him. Annoyed at having his speech interrupted, Syndrome looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed at the anomaly, who was looking at the far wall. He then turned to the super-villain and said in a flat, deadpan monotone, "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you saying something?"

Bob and Helen smirked. Syndrome just rolled his eyes upward and scoffed, "Philistine!" Then he resumed his hyper monologue, "Syndrome will save the day! I'll be a bigger hero than you _ever_ were!"

"You mean you killed off _real _heroes so that you could…_PRETEND _to be one?!" yelled Mr Incredible, outraged.

"Oh, I'm real!" snapped back Syndrome, a nerve touched by his foe. "Real enough to defeat _you_! And I did it without your _precious _gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I'll give all those people _heroics_. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics anyone's ever _seen_!"

"I've seen kids do better with _building bricks_!" burst out Hi-Jax having had had enough of this sad rant. Syndrome icily turned to face the teenage exile.

"_What_?" he asked menacingly.

"You heard. Your plan's already doomed before it can start. A) You don't know the first thing about being a hero. _Real _heroes _never _kill for money or publicity. Meaning you'll do a real sucky job of convincing your audience. B) Soon as that robot's unleashed, it'll just run wild out of control, like all the other NINE flops you created. C) No matter how rich and cool you _try _to be…you'll still never learn how to grow up and get over stuff. And D) you still look like a sad little bully target at school, who reeks of nothing but loneliness and zero charisma. How can anyone or anything expect to take _you _seriously?"

Syndrome sneered at Hi-Jax and walked up to him, getting right into his face. The anomaly looked away, scrunching his face in disgust.

"You sweat too much in that costume, by the way. Do you ever take that thing off, or do you just not bother with showers?"

"You're good, _freak_," acknowledged Syndrome, breaking into a cruel grin, "but you're _not _gonna rile me. Not when _I'm_ the new king of the world and you're just _yesterday's news_. Dethroned and discarded _trash_, waiting to be fed to the lions. Your lord and master says 'Hello! Eat you later!' by the way!"

The super villain grinned and turned to leave. Hi-Jax then asked casually, "So what do you and Sharak get out of all this, then?" The Incredibles had never taken their eyes off the anomaly since he started talking, all listening to him intently and looking at him once again in a different light.

"Why an ongoing threat of invading Heartless, of course, to keep the audience interested!" explained Syndrome, his sinister mood changing to boyish excitement. "In fact, they'll be 'serving' the rampaging robot, which _I'll _defeat. And when I've 'beaten' the Heartless again and again, my loyal fan base will make perfect slaves to the darkness. I'll get rich with munny, and I'll become even richer with knowledge and power from Kingdom Hearts. And when I get the reward from Sharak, I won't need my inventions any more. So I'll _sell _them so _everyone _can be superheroes. _Everyone _can be super! And when everyone's super…no one will be. And I'm sure Sharak will be looking forward to finally curing himself…son of Mahanah."

Syndrome turned and left the Containment Unit, his evil laughter echoing throughout the room. Hi-Jax glared at the doors as they closed behind the villain

Everyone else stared at the anomaly, absolutely confused.

"'Son of Mahanah'?" asked Helen. "What does that mean?"

"Syndrome and 'Sharak'?" repeated Bob. "Hi-Jax…what's going on? Who are you?"

The anomaly lowered his head in despair. He gave a pain-filled sigh and turned to answer his friends.

"Imagine…that the whole universe is infinitely bigger than this one small world," the anomaly began. "Other worlds, making up the stars in the sky. One of those worlds was destroyed a long time ago by Sharak. I fought back, I rebuilt my life, became a king to succeed my father, a husband and a father myself. But my actions threatened to unravel the fabric of creation."

The Parrs expressed horror and growing sympathy as Hi-Jax began to weep.

"My world, my people, my family…everything that was ever Adam, son of Mahanah…was completely erased to restore balance to the universe. The only reason I survived…was because this group called Organization XIII, turned me into a weapon to destroy Sharak _properly_. He was brought back also to restore the continuum. And I am locked onto a collision course with him. When we battle, one of us will be destroyed and the fate of all worlds will be decided once and for all. Sharak's trying to conquer everything, the Organization wants to control everything…I'm trying to _save _everything. That's who - and what - I am."

None of the Incredibles said anything. All of them were at a loss for words. And could only look at the teenage exile through apologetic eyes.

"And that's why the fewer people know of me, the _real _me…the better for the _entire _world."

The awkward silence was then broken by what was happening live at Metroville.

The ship split into two. The giant sphere popped out its visor head (its red eye blaring) clawed tentacles, rose high to tower above everything and began its rampage. The army soldiers fell back to take cover, and then the tanks moved in. The military opened fire.

Bullets were useless. Tank shells didn't even _scratch _the Omnidroid's invincible armour. The robot turned to the nearest bothersome tank, opened up its head-mounted laser cannon, and blasted the army vehicle sky-high. Soldiers retreated, returning fire whilst doing so…only to get blown away into oblivion.

More tanks surrounded the robot and shot off more shells.

More tanks got stepped on or blown away by _real _firepower.

Hi-Jax glared at what he was seeing. He now felt anger and renewed vigour.

"And that's why I travel to other worlds and stop bullies like Syndrome," the anomaly explained. "Vermin like him need to realise they simply don't get away with stuff like this."

"I'm sorry…" sighed Bob in deep remorse. "This is _my _fault."

His family looked sadly at him.

"I've been a lousy father," Bob admitted, looking to his wife and children. "Blind to what I have. So obsessed with being undervalued…"

Hi-Jax and Violet looked to one another while Bob was talking. The anomaly nodded and Violet summoned a force field, freeing herself from the electrical field. She rolled forward out of the chamber, down the steps and towards the control panel.

"…that I undervalued all of you."

"Umm…Dad?" said Dash, having seen her sister already break free.

"Shhh," silenced Helen, who like Bob, was oblivious to what was going on.

"So caught up in the past that I…"

Violet stopped rolling and cancelled her force field, landing upright on the floor, yet with the manacles still attached to her hands and feet. Meanwhile, Hi-Jax had already just teleported out of the prison and re-emerged by Violet's side. Dash smiled in joy and wanted to tell his parents, but Bob still kept talking.

"_You_," said Mr Incredible to his wife and son, "are my greatest adventure. And I almost _missed _it."

"Do you wanna be the one or shall I?" whispered Violet, smiling to Hi-Jax.

"Oh, the honours are all _yours_, Vi," smiled Hi-Jax, gesturing for her to be his guest.

"I _swear_," vowed Bob, "I'm gonna get us out of this safely if I…"

"Well," interrupted Violet cheerfully, "I think Dad has made some _excellent _progress today but I think it's time we wind down _now_."

She pressed the 'off' button on the control panel, deactivating the Containment Unit and releasing her family from the field and the manacles.

* * *

The Incredibles and Hi-Jax ran down the hallway, no guards in sight.

"We need to get back to the mainland," said Mr Incredible.

"We saw an aircraft hanger on our way in," informed Elastigirl, "straight ahead I think."

In the Command Deck, Mirage looked below at all the commandos and staff - Syndrome's flunkies - all laughing and enjoying watching the robot's rampage on the big screen, all celebrating with champagne and nibbles.

She just turned away in remorse and looked over to the monitors for any sign of activity, anything to try and take her mind off what was happening. All posts were now completely unmanned because everyone was busy enjoying Operation: Kronos in widescreen with surround sound. As Mirage looked at one of the screens, she saw the Parrs and Hi-Jax sprinting down the hallway leading into the air hanger.

Her eyes widened with surprise.

Mr Incredible prised the doors open and paused for a moment.

"Where are all the guards?" he asked.

"Most of them are celebrating in the Command Deck," reported Hi-Jax. "The only ones _here_…" The anomaly's voice trailed off as he and Bob saw the big RV all alone in the hanger.

"Go! Go!" ushered Mr Incredible to the others, as they slid through the opening and under his arm. Incredible took the lead as he and the others ran to the end of the vehicle. He signalled for the others to stay silent and to wait. He crept up to the opened hatch and saw the guards celebrating and laughing. One of them popped open a bottle of champagne, eager to distribute it among the party…

His smile then dropped when he saw Mr Incredible in the cabin with them, having caught the cork.

He smiled and shut the hatch.

The RV rocked from side-to-side as Mr Incredible gave the thugs the beating they so richly deserved. When he'd finished, the superhero opened the door of the vehicle and stuck his head out, whistling an all-clear signal to the others. They ran round the RV and sprinted on down the row of opened doors.

"This is the right hanger but I don't see any jets," called out Helen.

"A jet's not fast enough," countered Bob, shaking his head.

The party skidded to a halt.

"Well, what's faster than a jet?" asked Elastigirl.

"_Me_," nodded Hi-Jax. "I can teleport us all back to Metroville. But I need a vessel of some kind for us all to pass through the gateways safely. And we're gonna need supplies before we bail. After I've transported us, I'll need Elixirs to get me back to full strength. I've never done this with a vessel before. And we're _all _gonna need Elixirs and Mega-Elixirs so we're ready for confronting the robot."

"The RV had plenty of medical stuff inside," said Bob. "Can you teleport us to _exactly_ where the robot will be in the city?"

"No. I can get us to the coast of the city and that's it. Which is _another _reason why we'll need a vessel, to cover more ground and find the Omnidroid as quick as."

"Hey!" called out Dash. "How about a rocket?"

The rest of the group ran to the hanger Dash was in, to see right at the far end, a rocket identical to the one that had transported the Omnidroid. The launch bay looked ready and good to go.

"Great!" said Helen. "But I can't fly a rocket."

"You don't have to," said Violet. "Use the coordinates from the last launch."

"Nice one, Vi," nodded Hi-Jax and took the H.J.F.M. out of his pocket. Switching it on, he communicated, "Wade, need your help. You watching the news on this world?"

"_As always, Hi-Jax. And in response to your next question, that robot is tearing up Metroville's Financial District. Syndrome hasn't shown up yet, but the Heartless have."_

"We need to access the coordinates from the robot's launch and get this thing flying. Can you do that?"

"_Sorry, HJ. Not without direct access to the main computer. I need you to get there for me to do anything."_

"I was in the Computer Room," confessed Bob, "I can…"

His smile then dropped.

"Ah, wait. I bet Syndrome's changed the password by now. How do I get into the computer?"

"Simple," reminded Hi-Jax, waving his H.J.F.M. in his hand. "With the help of my friend here."

"_Or you could simply say please."_

Everyone turned to see Mirage in the Observation Booth, holding the microphone and smiling at them.

* * *

In the City's Financial District, the Omnidroid and the Heartless destroyed and terrorized the neighbourhood. People fled from the firing Surveillance Robots like chickens. Motorists abandoned their vehicles as Devastators and Magnum Loader Heartless blasted away in hot pursuit.

The Omnidroid then picked up a nearby abandoned tanker like a toy.

And threw it at the nearest collective of people.

But before it could land and crush a woman and her baby…it froze in mid-air. Everyone looked up to see the bizarre energy field surrounding the tanker, trailing from the costumed man's fingertip. The flying man then lifted it effortlessly above his head.

And the stunned public, having missed the extraordinary sight for fifteen years…applauded and cheered.

"The supers have returned!"

"Is that Fironic?"

"Fironic?"

"No, Fironic has a different outfit."

"No, no," explained Syndrome modestly, "I'm a _new _superhero! I'M SYNDROME!"

He then threw the tanker behind him and posed for the crowd, who just ran for cover from the exploding tanker.

The Heartless all turned to Syndrome, awaiting their orders. Activating a command on his utility gauntlet, Syndrome ordered the Heartless to remain frozen on the spot. The Omnidroid advanced towards its master, opening its claw and extending its arm to grab and crush the life out of him.

"All right, stand back," assured Syndrome to the crowd, who secretly activated another command on his remote control to make the robot freeze before it could grab him. He smiled slyly at his creation and then flew out of harm's way. The pincers closed seconds later after he was well out of harm's way.

Syndrome then flew through the air, showing off his aerial acrobatics to the people, firing laser blasts at his Heartless troops, wiping them out.

"Someone needs to teach this hunk of metal…" boasted the villain, as he fired blasts at his own robot from all attack positions, "_and _these ugly critters…"

Syndrome took a moment to secretly smile slyly again, before activating his wrist remote again.

"A few manners!"

He punched the Omnidroid's ball socket. Having timed the stunt just right, the command kicked in immediately afterwards. The arm fell off the robot and crashed to the concrete below, fooling the people into thinking that Syndrome had super-strength.

On the rooftop overlooking the publicity stunt, Ilxsa stood, hood down and arms folded, watching the events with interest. Syndrome had just laughed in triumph, arms raised in 'victory'.

_So far, so good. But I anticipate that this as far as good will travel._

Sure enough, the Omnidroid's AI paused for a moment.

It stopped to identify its lost arm, concluding that it had disengaged thanks to an external signal that had overridden its own self-control. It looked up to its master, and quickly identified that the enemy signal was being transmitted by the remote control the human was wielding.

The AI, like its predecessors had done, concluded that there was no reason why it should have to obey orders from an inferior specimen. Therefore, the robot declared that this nuisance factor must be eliminated.

The Omnidroid regained self-control and fired a blast from its laser cannon, knocking the wrist remote clean off Syndrome's gauntlet. The crowd screamed and resumed running. A shocked and bewildered Syndrome turned and only just managed to evade being flattened by the robot's wild arm. The villain panicked and rocketed away to safety, knocking civilians over in the process. The Omnidroid was no longer _his _robot, and it cemented that fact by firing more laser blasts at him. One clipped his left Aero-Boot and he spiralled out of control.

Ilxsa simply stared at Syndrome as he collided with the building's wall and landed hard on the rooftop of the building adjacent to it, right by the Unknown's feet.

Groggy and struggling to fight unconsciousness, Syndrome looked up to the Darkest Exile and ordered, "Ilxsa…help me."

She simply stared at him.

"You've failed to uphold your end of our agreement, Syndrome," she coldly replied. "You're unfit to aid us, let alone yourself. Irony proves itself once again."

She turned to the streets below and ordered more Heartless to materialize. They emerged in front of the fleeing crowds.

And began consuming their hearts.

The Omnidroid turned to identify the new creatures. The Heartless likewise paused momentarily to study the metal monster.

The Heartless recognised that the Omnidroid was now the strongest, and chose to ally themselves with it. And in turn, the robot had recognised that the creatures were now enslaved to its command signals.

The Omnidroid ordered its minions to destroy everything.

Ilxsa turned back to the fallen, pathetic Syndrome and declared, "Operation: Kronos has failed. Our arrangement is void. Once the Omnidroid and the Heartless have finished, this world and all its hearts will serve as a welcome collection and forces boost for Sharak. If I had a heart, Syndrome…I would express my disappointment with you to its fullest."

"You…can't!" grunted the villain in protest.

The Darkest Exile just teleported away.

Syndrome then succumbed to blackness, hidden and now completely forgotten.

As the Omnidroid and its new forces continued to decimate everything around them.

* * *

_**Stay tuned! I WILL finish this one day!**_

**_D.C. Wood (12/03/10)_**


	23. Chapter 23: The Supers Have Returned

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 23: The Supers Have Returned**

In the skies of Metroville, approximately fifty miles away from the Mainland…the heavens split open with a deafening roar.

The mouth grew wider and wider, allowing the rocket to escape from the dark abyss and safely pass through back into the real world.

The rocket's nosecone, armour-plating and boosters all detached spectacularly to reveal the Omnidroid ship. Right on the tip of the giant wing's nose, stood Hi-Jax channelling his energies to transport himself, the vessel and all its occupants to this location. His screams were intense but he was an anomaly, an unnatural perversion of balances and opposites created by the Organization.

He was up to the challenge.

Once he knew that they were safely through, Hi-Jax lowered his arms and fell to one knee, fighting for breath. The dark portal they'd exited closed behind them in a flash of light. Uncorking an Elixir bottle, Hi-Jax revitalised his health and magic back to full strength. Standing up tall, he quickly turned to check on his friend.

Right in the massive hole in the ship (designed to house the Omnidroid), Elastigirl was stretched like a high tensile wire from one side of the hole to the other, supporting the big RV that they'd stolen to hasten their search for the Omnidroid once they would touch land. Edna Mole's costume design was true to its claims. Virtually indestructible and could stretch as far as Helen could without injuring herself and still retain its normal shape and size.

But that wasn't to say the _strain _of carrying a vehicle that weighed a few tonnes was a _comfortable _experience for Mrs Parr. It was really taking its toll, so Hi-Jax made sure to keeping giving her Potions, saving an Elixir for her when it was time to face the Omnidroid.

Under normal flight protocols, the Omnidroid rocket was capable of travelling from Nomanisan Island to the city of Metroville in three hours. Thanks to Hi-Jax, they'd been able to halve that time. In the RV, everyone had taken their Elixirs and were ready for war.

In the recreation cabin, Violet and Dash were sat at the table.

Bored out of his mind, Dash asked to his father (who was sat tensely at the wheel), "Are we there yet?"

"We get there when we get there!" explained Bob impatiently. Turning to his door window, the super opened it. He felt the fierce winds batter his face and Vi and Dash instantly shielded themselves as the currents entered the cabin. Sticking his head out the window, Bob called to his wife cheerily.

"HOW YA DOIN', HONEY?!"

"DO I _HAVE _TO ANSWER?!" she screamed painfully.

"HI-JAX! READY TO ROCK 'N' ROLL?!"

"YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT, MR INCREDIBLE!" bellowed the grinning, excited anomaly at the top of his voice, as the Mainland drew ever nearer.

Shutting the window, Bob looked back to his children and ordered, "Kids! Strap yourselves down like I told you!"

Vi and Dash darted out of their seats in the recreation cabin and into the seats next to the monitor controls. Once he knew that the kids were fastened in, Bob once more stuck his head out of the driver's window and shouted cheerily to Helen, "HERE WE GO, HONEY! HI-JAX, GET READY!"

Mr Incredible shut his window and called to his daughter, "Ready, Violet?"

Vi raised her hand, ready to bring it down on the button Mirage had told her about.

"Ready…" warned Bob as the sight of touchdown rapidly drew nearer.

"Now!"

Violet hit the switch. The framework ship split right down the middle into two pieces and were lost to gravity. Helen screamed in pain and subsequent relief as the strain of the heavy burden slackened and ultimately lightened. The RV was the only vessel left now in the air.

Bob opened the window for Helen, who gracefully entered and took her place in the other front seat. Hi-Jax faded into the passageway right behind them, clutching the handles for support.

"This is gonna be rough!" warned Bob as the sight of the highway was imminent. Mr Incredible put his foot right down, flooring the RV's speed to well over a hundred miles an hour. Everyone braced for impact and to get ready for rough riding.

The RV clipped a lamppost on an overpass bridge but still made it. The vehicle did indeed land hard. The impact crumpling the bodywork and severely battering the chassis but the rugged all-terrain vehicle was able to take the punishment and the spinning wheels immediately got it off to a fast start upon touchdown. The acceleration and the rough landing, coupled with the highway traffic and the vehicle's high centre of gravity, threatened to send them all crashing and burning, but thanks to Bob's expert driving skills, the vehicle stayed upright and they were soon flying.

"The robot's in the Financial District," said Bob. "Which exit do I take?"

"Traction Avenue," answered Helen.

"That'll take me Downtown," protested Bob as he frantically weaved in and out of traffic. "I take Seventh, don't I?"

"Don't take Seventh!" exclaimed Helen, panic-stricken. Bob only just managed to turn away from the exit in time, to the angry sound of car horns.

"Great! We missed it!"

"You _asked _me how to get there and I _told _you. Exit at Traction."

"That'll take me Downtown!"

"Exit's coming up! Get in the right lane!"

"But we…!"

"Signal!"

"Can we not bicker now, children?!" shouted Hi-Jax as the reckless driving threatened to knock him around the passageway.

"We don't exit at Traction!" bellowed Bob to Helen, both of them ignoring the anomaly.

"Get in the right lane!" yelled Helen. Giving up, Bob screamed and turned violently to the Traction exit. Amidst all the bends and crossroads, red lights and oncoming heavy goods vehicles, other traffic and fleeing civilians, Mr Incredible managed to navigate his way to their destination. Violet screamed as the reckless joyride's momentum threatened to tip the vehicle over at any moment.

Soon enough, they entered the road leading to the Financial District. Then Bob lost control when he braked. The RV toppled and rolled down the street, crashing and banging. Windows shattered, more bodywork crumpled, hub cabs, bumpers, fenders, doors and even the exhaust and spare wheel were all lost in a trail of destruction. All the vehicle's occupants were bounced around like jumping beans, but the RV was once again living up to its warranty, protecting all its crew in spite of the terrific battering it was taking.

Eventually it stopped rolling and came to a halt between two cars in a registered parking space, stopping perfectly in-between the two vehicles. The RV looked as though it was about to finally land on its side as soon as it hit the curb of the pavement, sure to flatten the parking metre right next to it. But ultimately it landed upright on its wheels.

Bob and Helen groaned and tried to shake off the cobwebs.

"Hi-Jax…are you alright?"

"Just peachy, thanks," grinned the teenager, standing to his feet.

"Is everyone else okay back there?" Bob asked wearily.

"Super duper, Dad!" giggled Violet as her eyes rolled around and around.

"Let's do that again!" chattered Dash eagerly.

Bob smiled and raised an impressed eyebrow. Helen's expression was that of approval. Hi-Jax smirked and gave the kids a thumbs up. Then he saw something in the corner of his eye.

"Look!"

Everyone turned to see the Omnidroid and the Heartless rampaging in the distance, heading deeper into the Financial District.

"Wait here and stay hidden," ordered Mr Incredible to his family. "I'm going in."

He left the ruined vehicle and strode sternly to enter the fray. He'd only taken a few steps when he felt Elastigirl's elongated hand spin him round to face her.

"While what?" she angrily protested as she and Hi-Jax stepped out. "While I watch helplessly on the sidelines? I don't think so!"

"I'm _asking _you and Hi-Jax to wait with the kids!"

Hi-Jax chose not to interfere as Helen walked up to confront her husband. Violet and Dash stuck their heads out of the cabin's exit to silently observe the dissension of their parents.

"And I'm _telling _you, not a chance," declared Elastigirl resolutely. "You're my husband, I'm with _you_."

Bob looked fearfully away from his wife, who grabbed his head and _made _him look at her.

"For better or worse," she furthered intently.

"I _have _to do this _alone_," decreed Bob, equally resolute as he removed Helen's hand and turned back to engage the robot. Having lost her patience, Helen angrily demanded, "What _is _this to you? _Playtime_?"

"No," Bob answered back, more than one nerve touched.

"So you can run off and be Mr Incredible again?"

"No!"

"Then _what_?"

"I'm not…"

"Not what?"

"I'm not strong enough."

"Strong enough! And _this _will make you stronger?"

"Yes! No!"

"_That's _what this is? Some sort of _workout_?!"

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" yelled Bob as he shook his wife in fear. The outburst echoed throughout Metroville. And froze Helen's heart. His head lowered in despair, Bob sighed painfully and muttered, "I _can't_. Not again. I'm not…strong enough."

Helen was aghast. Hi-Jax looked upon Bob with great sadness and sympathy. Dash and Violet looked to each other in shock and worry, then back to their parents.

Helen lifted Bob's chin and kissed him passionately.

"If we work together," she assured him warmly, "you won't have to be."

"I don't know what'll happen," confessed Bob, shaking his head sadly.

"Hey," smiled Helen optimistically, caressing Bob's cheek. "We're _superheroes_. What could happen?"

Violet screamed as the Omnidroid towered above the RV. She and Dash only just managed to scarper from the vehicle before the huge metal claw flattened it. Hi-Jax had already moved away to regroup with the others. The robot commanded its Heartless troops to surround the targets. As soon as they popped up, Hi-Jax had already fashioned himself a light/dark scimitar and hurled it around the group. It boomeranged through all the Surveillance Robots and Magnum Loaders, making them explode into dark clouds. Hi-Jax caught his weapon and summoned a powerful Thundaga spell to eliminate the squad of Devastators that were closing in on them.

The Omnidroid had analysed Hi-Jax immediately after his display of power. The readings were astronomical. This human was by far the most powerful of this party. The Omnidroid concluded he must be removed firstly and accordingly. The robot summoned more Heartless to target the anomaly. As anticipated, he dispatched them as soon as they materialised, but that left him open for the Omnidroid to swat him far over the skyscrapers and to the other side of the city.

Violet screamed Hi-Jax's name and Bob yelled for them all to run. The robot brought its clawed arm down again, smashing the road up in an eruption of concrete. More importantly…it separated the terrified Violet and Dash from their parents. They looked back to see their children in peril…

Just as more Heartless emerged to stop them from saving their offspring.

"VI! DASH! NO!" screamed Helen as she and her equally horrified husband were forced to fight the dark creatures.

And watch their children die.

Having successfully divided the targets, the robot turned to follow its primary objective.

And that was conquer all supers.

It raised another clawed tentacle, this time to flatten the two children. Dash ducked and covered his head, ready for the end. A huge bang sounded and Dash cautiously opened his eyes to see he was still alive. He looked up at his sister in alarm to see that she had managed to raise a protective force field just in time. The Omnidroid battered the shield with more flailing arms, calculating that the brute force would make the shield cave in on itself. The powerful blows were tremendous, hammering the sphere deeper into the road. Violet struggled to repel the attacks but was able to hold her own.

Then her eyes widened as the robot moved itself directly above the siblings and dropped, bringing its entire weight on top of the force field. The impact was too much for Violet and the force field caved in, knocking her out cold. Dash had already instinctively ducked again to try and shield himself and looked again to see that the force field had vanished…

And his sister had been hurt.

"Violet?" asked Dash worried.

On the other side of the city, Hi-Jax had just fished himself out of the harbour and shaking himself dry…when he could sense two young hearts about to be extinguished.

"NO!" he denied as he teleported back to the action.

The robot got ready to bring all its weight down on top of the children.

Dash once more ducked and covered, feeling that they were doomed for sure this time.

But they weren't.

The underbelly of the robot didn't even touch them.

"DAD!" cried Dash happily as he turned to see his father had long ploughed through the Heartless and was now on his back, using his hands and feet to push with all his might.

"Go! Go!" he grunted desperately. Dash smiled ecstatically as he saw his sister groggily sit up straight. Her mothers' long arms grabbed her and yanked her out of danger, shocking Violet into full wakefulness. Dash immediately sprinted after his mother as she carried her daughter to safety in her arms. Bob quickly turned to stand up and exert full strength, pressing the giant robot's belly up off of him. Another giant claw grabbed him, quickly picked him up and flung him far into the nearest office building. Bob screamed as the velocity took him crashing hard through windows and several work desks.

Hi-Jax then teleported into view, hovering before the robot…

And let rip with an almighty onslaught of sword strikes, fireballs and spectacular combinations, battering the metal leviathan with an incalculable force.

"THAT _HURT, _YOU GODDAMN, MOTHER…!!!"

Hi-Jax's explicit rant and ferocious attack were cut off abruptly by the Omnidroid only just managing to calculate an opening in the anomaly's attack pattern, take advantage, grab the teenager and send him crashing out of control into another building.

Hi-Jax slowly and menacingly rose from the broken desks and mess of assorted papers. He glared at the sight of the robot, who turned to eliminate the target designated 'Mr Incredible'. The Omnidroid summoned more Surveillance Robots to restrain the anomaly, all of which charged their weapons at the teenage exile.

"Okay…" seethed the anomaly, summoning his swords, his eyes crackling with light and dark energy, "NOW I'm ticked."

"I'm okay, Mom," assured Violet as Helen laid her down by the corner of a building away from the Omnidroid. "Really."

"Stay here," ordered Helen to Vi and Dash. "Okay?" She then ran off to rejoin the battle. Violet and Dash gaped in excitement and wonder as they saw the spectacular, heroic conflict intensify.

Meanwhile, the Omnidroid had climbed up the building it had thrown Mr Incredible through and scanned the wreckage to identify the location of its quarry. He came charging at the robot with more force than a herd of stampeding rhinos. Incredible's shoulder barge slammed the titan hard off of the building, where it fell back to the street in a great smash of concrete. As Bob fell away from the robot, he landed safely on his feet, dodge-rolling to assume the correct stance to resume the offensive.

Then he turned to hear the sounds of a man skating and shooting ice. The newcomer was kitted out in a white and blue super suit, patterned to resemble snow and ice. His face was masked by a white hood and cool-looking visor. His skin colour was black and he sported a well-trimmed black goatee. It was Lucius Best, here to take up arms again.

"Frozone!" beamed Mr Incredible as his best friend skated gracefully past him.

"Yeah!" cheered Frozone as he sped on his path of ice to circle the rising Omnidroid. He fired great streams of ice at the robot's joint sockets, hoping to immobilize it. The robot struggled to move with the ice jamming its mobility but the warmth being generated by its mechanics was quickly melting the ice.

"Bob!" called Elastigirl as she regrouped with Mr Incredible. They then turned to see Frozone hurled hard onto the hood of a parked car. Frozone's body dented the roof and bounced again onto the pavement.

"HEY!" yelled Bob angrily at the robot, who just swatted the super aside. More Magnum Loaders raced to attack Elastigirl, blasting away. She dodged the shots and levelled them all with a long-reaching roundhouse kick. The Omnidroid's arms shot out at her but her speed and agility saved her. The robot summoned more airborne troops to pursue Elastigirl. Hi-Jax returned with his devastating Catharsis attack, battering the robot from all sides and destroying more Heartless for his finale. Amazingly, the robot withstood the assault, despite the intense pounding it had received and summoned more Heartless. Activating its head-mounted laser cannon, it opened fire at the airborne Hi-Jax, who evaded the shots, using Reflega spells and his swords to repel the blasts back only when necessary.

Frozone had also recovered and skated on the ice tracks he'd paved out in the air to try and freeze the robot's arm stuck, imbedded in the building after failing to impale Elastigirl. The Omnidroid just freed itself with no trouble and resumed shooting at Mrs Incredible.

On the ground, Bob slowly got up and something immediately caught his eye. A white band made out of plastic, sporting buttons and various other controls. Bob's eyes narrowed. He was sure he'd seen this device somewhere before.

_Yeah, back on the island when Syndrome first revealed himself and the robot to me, he…_

"SYNDROME'S REMOTE!!!" cheered Mr Incredible, holding it triumphantly above his head. The Omnidroid paused and turned to see that the enemy device had survived and that its targets could now transmit a signal to impede its own self-control. It studied the change of expression on Mr Incredible's face, who had now realised that he shouldn't have celebrated his newfound advantage…

And then brought its claw down on him. The blow had made the invulnerable Incredible drop the remote, and now he could feel the cold metal hoist him high into the air to finish the job. Bob saw the wrist remote bounce away from his grasp and quickly grabbed it again. The hero pressed all the buttons on the control to try and free himself, hoping to get lucky. Sure enough, the arm detached from the robot's socket and Incredible screamed as he and the now-lifeless tentacle fell long and hard to the ground again.

Elsewhere, Hi-Jax and Frozone had regrouped and were tackling the Heartless together. Frozone fired blasts of ice to make the Surveillance Robots plummet and shatter into pieces, Hi-Jax tore apart the Devastators with his Eruption attack, slashing his enemies repeatedly, herding them together, before plunging his swords into the ground and sending pillars of energy in the direction of his enemies, hammering them into oblivion.

"Nice outfit, Lucius!" remarked Hi-Jax as they stood back to back, fighting off Heartless.

"Thanks, Hi-Jax! SWEET moves!"

"Likewise!"

"How do we beat these critters?! More we wipe out, more keep poppin' up!"

"Ignore the Heartless! Take out the robot! You destroy their leader, you make the Heartless disappear with it!"

Both of them split up and charged to plough through the Heartless squad, ignoring the pests as best they could to deal with the big boss. Meanwhile (from their hiding place), Violet and Dash had seen their father shout out something about a remote and do something to free himself from the Omnidroid's clutches.

"The remote controls the robot!" cried out Vi to her brother.

Mr Incredible leapt and dodge-rolled to avoid the Omnidroid's laser cannon and then paused to hear the sound of his son, who was right on the other side of the robot, shouting and jumping to catch something.

"Dad! Throw it! Throw it!"

"Go long!" yelled Bob back to Dash, as he threw the remote just like it was a game of football catch between father and son. The remote flew high and far above the Omnidroid and Dash ran like he never ran before. The Omnidroid identified the new target and his strategy and fired more blasts to stop him from completing his objective. Dash screamed as he narrowly weaved in and out of the fire, hoping to get to the Unions building across the river to catch the remote. Elastigirl stopped killing Heartless for a moment to be awestruck by the way her son was moving. Hi-Jax grimaced while battling the robot, looked to the sight of Dash truly coming into his own and rooted, "You _go_, kid."

Dash sped across the water, holding his hands up high getting ready to catch the remote as it drew ever nearer.

"Got it!" he yelled as he successfully caught the wrist control, never stopping as his rapid feet touched dry land. Vehicles exploded thanks to the robot's firepower, making Dash stop dead in his tracks. He turned to escape the other way, but the Omnidroid fired more blasts, penning Dash in. The child gasped in horror as the flames grew and the giant robot that continued to fire.

"Hi-Jax, blind the robot!" ordered Mr Incredible as he ran up for an attack from behind, smashing through Heartless obstacles. "Honey, take out its guns!"

The Omnidroid turned its attention back to Incredible and fired a shot to silence him. Hi-Jax made the most of the opening and summoned a dark cloud to completely obscure the robot's head. Its visor was now completely blinded. With visual impaired, the Omnidroid switched between various sensory input modes to compensate. Night vision, infra-red and ultrasound were all rendered useless by Hi-Jax's darkness.

Elastigirl had spotted a nearby manhole cover and plucked it out of the street. Using her strength and elasticity, she wound her arm round a nearby lamppost, building up tension like a slingshot. Aiming it just right, she let go of the manhole cover, launching it right on target. The Omnidroid, already preoccupied with trying to restore its lost vision, was unable to defend itself. The manhole cover scored a perfect bull's-eye, destroying the highly-exposed laser cannon.

Back on the other side of the river, Dash gasped as Magnum Loaders raced towards him, determined to destroy the remote that was impeding their master. They slipped out of control as their wheels touched a track of ice that had come up of nowhere. More icy spells fell from the sky, burying the Heartless under tonnes of snow. Dash yelped as Frozone grabbed him out of harm's way, piggybacking him as Dash still held on to the remote.

Eventually, the Omnidroid concluded that the only possible solution to restoring visual was to scan for nearby hearts, seek out the most powerful one, which logically was responsible, then disable it. It activated a heart scan and 'saw' Hi-Jax floating before him. Its laser cannon had been disabled but quick multiple blows would be just as effective. Left wide open, Hi-Jax was once again swatted out of the sky. Normal vision restored, the Omnidroid turned to see that the enemy remote was still in possession of the child, who was now being aided in his escape. A status report on Heartless forces indicated that the Omnidroid's minions were nearly all depleted. It concluded that more summons would be wasteful and should thus be conserved for conquest of this world. After this task had been fulfilled.

Withdrawing its remaining arms and visor into itself, the robot transformed into its giant sphere mode and rolled across the river, chasing after Frozone and Dash. Frozone continued to shoot ice and skate along it to try and outpace the metal monster. He only just managed to save himself and Dash from being crushed by the armour-plated boulder and cut back to the river to regroup with the others. The Omnidroid skidded and unfolded when its scanners had reported that it had missed the pair. They were now a great distance away and sure to be out of range soon. With more and more knowledge coming through to its data banks on how to terminate these supers, the Omnidroid calculated a new means of elimination.

It leapt hundreds of feet high into the air, its momentum poised to bring it down right behind the two targets. Frozone and Dash had made it halfway across the river when they looked up to see the huge shape about to land. The impact sent both of them flying high up into the air, making Dash lose the remote, and creating a massive tidal wave that threatened to drown them. Frozone immediately twisted and turned the water to deep snow. The wave collapsed into fluffy whiteness, burying him but cushioning Dash's landing. He bounced and skidded across the junction, yet avoided injury or harm of any kind.

The robot had walked out of the river, just as Bob caught sight of the remote landing only a few feet away from his position. He made a run for it and almost got it when the robot fired its claw from its arm and scooped Bob up, taking him far away from the device. As Bob crashed and burned far away, the Omnidroid continued to advance to the enemy remote. Lucius had dug his way out and had skated back to the street to fire a sheet of ice in the Omnidroid's path. The robot immediately started to slip as soon as its appendages touched the ice. Having lost two arms and now one claw had affected its stability and mobility. Running on the other side of the street, Helen got into position and stretched herself in-between two lampposts on opposite sides. Helen grunted as the sheer weight impacted against her body, but thanks to a surprise uppercut from below from Hi-Jax, the team tripped up the behemoth, making it fall far and flat on its front.

It looked up to see the enemy remote. It made a grab for the device but amidst a child's screams, the remote actually lifted itself up off the ground to avoid being crushed. The remote avoided more flailing grabs and tricked the robot into crossing its tentacles together. Its claws embedded deep in the road, the Omnidroid struggled to free itself and ultimately tripped again. With the wrist control now in her hands, Violet turned visible again and ran back to regroup with her mother, brother, Hi-Jax and Frozone.

"Mom, I've got it! I've got the remote!"

The Omnidroid rose again, looking down on the group. It concluded that all enemy strategies had failed. And now it was time to finish this.

It advanced towards them, unrelenting in achieving its primary objective. The destruction of all supers, the enslavement of humans and the dominion of Artificial Intelligence.

"A remote?" asked Lucius, confused. "A remote that controls _what_?"

"Guess!" yelled Hi-Jax, trying to think of an idea as the Omnidroid grew nearer. Desperate, Violet closed her eyes, pointed the remote at the robot and pressed a random button. The robot's rockets roared to life as the robot was levitated off the ground.

"The _robot_?!" exclaimed Lucius as they all ducked. The Omnidroid soared over them, spiralling and colliding against the building on the other end of the street. Its arms went limp from the impact. Everyone stared at it warily as a few kilometres away, Bob was trying to free himself from the claw's death grip.

The Omnidroid then righted itself yet again. And marched forward.

"That thing's indestructible!" growled Hi-Jax.

"It's coming back!" shrieked Dash and he grabbed the remote from Violet, pressing a button while pointing it at the robot. In the distance, Bob yelled as the claw sprang open and released him. For the umpteenth time, he bounced high and landed hard.

"That wasn't right," realised Dash.

"Give me that!" yelled Violet, taking the remote back.

Bob got to his feet and stared desperately at the Omnidroid.

"We can't stop it. The only thing hard enough to penetrate it is…"

His voice trailed away in realisation as he once more thought back to Syndrome's Island. When he'd confronted and destroyed the previous prototype.

He'd _fooled _it into attacking itself by hiding in the machine's body. The robot there had clawed itself to try and get at Mr Incredible. The damage done was severe and irreparable.

That's when it hit him.

He looked over to the claw.

The Omnidroid's _only _weakness was…

"…_itself_."

"It's getting closer!" shouted Dash.

Bob picked up the claw, holding it like a missile.

"It doesn't work!" cried out Violet, frustrated as she pounded more buttons. One of them had activated the boosters on the claw, dragging Bob along for the ride.

"It's not doing anything," said Frozone. Helen took the remote off Violet and studied it.

"Lucius, Hi-Jax, try to buy us some time!" ordered Elastigirl.

"Try the one next to it!" advised Frozone as he and Hi-Jax took off to engage the Omnidroid again. As soon as he'd reached the robot, Lucius erected a great wall of ice to block its path. Hi-Jax used Larxene's Thunder and knives to rain down destruction from above, distracting it at best rather than containing it.

Elastigirl pressed another button on the remote, trying to decipher the controls. Bob, still clinging onto the rocket claw, ground to a halt as the boosters switched off. He fell confused and then realised, "Wait a minute…Press that button again!" he shouted to his wife. Helen looked over her shoulder and then pressed another button. The claw closed and rotated like a drill.

"No!" yelled Bob. "The other one! The first button!"

"First button! Got it!" grimaced Helen.

"It's getting closer!" warned Dash.

"We can't last much longer!" roared Hi-Jax, clashing his swords with the Omnidroid's flailing arms.

"Look out!" shouted Lucius as he constantly tried to rebuild the ice wall to keep the robot back.

"Get out of here, kids! Find a safe spot!"

"We're not going _anywhere_!" bellowed Violet in defiance.

"PRESS THE BUTTON!" ordered Bob.

"NOT YET!"

"Helen!"

"Whatever you're going to do, do it NOW!!!"

"What are you waiting for?!"

"A closer target!" explained Helen. "You've got _one _shot!"

The Omnidroid smashed through the ice wall. Both Frozone and Hi-Jax had been forced back to the others.

Just as the robot had calculated.

And now it was ready to destroy them all.

Helen looked back to Bob…then pressed the first button. The rotating claw rocket's boosters ignited again. Bob had it aimed right for the core.

"EVERYBODY DUCK!!!"

Everyone except Hi-Jax turned to see Bob let go of the projectile. It rocketed at tremendous speed and they only just managed to take cover.

"HI-JAX!!!" screamed Helen when she immediately looked up to see him still in the air, clashing with the wild tentacles. The Omnidroid was locked in immortal combat with this erratic, unstable, microscopic super. It was more powerful than anything that had been targeted and terminated in Operation: Kronos, but it was ultimately another obstacle. Just another threat to be eliminated in order to achieve its objective.

Hi-Jax just merely withdrew his swords, having played for enough time.

He smiled and waved goodbye at the AI.

Then faded out of existence. The AI was actually confused by this development. How could a being simply vanish? Error messages processed in its CPU, trying to analyse and calculate a new attack plan…

Then the rocket claw pierced right through its armour and skewered the robot's core right out of the other side. The claw's boosters deactivated upon exit and landed with a clang, the robot heart impaled right on the sharp metal pincers.

Bob regrouped with his family and best friend to see the Omnidroid frozen. In the gaping hole in the robot's centre, electricity sizzled in its damaged workings. Circuits were now broken, the humming faded…and the Omnidroid's red eye was extinguished. Metal groaned as the dead robot fell to its side.

And exploded.

Everyone shielded their eyes from the explosion. When it extinguished, everyone looked to one another, then all around them for their missing comrade. A cloud of painful loss fell over them.

"Oh, no…please, no!" wailed Helen in despair. "HI-JAX!!!"

"Something wrong?"

Everyone looked to see the anomaly standing arms folded beside Elastigirl. He was smirking at the site of the destroyed robot.

"There is a lot to be said for fireworks at daytime, don't you find?"

"Show-off!" yelled Helen angrily and smacked Hi-Jax around the head. The teenage exile grunted and rubbed his head as he turned to Helen, whose scowl soon turned into a smile of relief. She grabbed him for a big hug, and the anomaly likewise laughed and returned the embrace. Everyone else smiled and looked at each other in congratulations.

"Hey, Zone," nodded a smiling Mr Incredible to his best friend, who pointed and laughed in joviality and approval. Then everyone turned to the sound of cheering and applause. All of Metroville's civilians emerged in gratitude and roaring approval for the Incredibles, Frozone and Hi-Jax. The supers had returned in a blaze of glory after fifteen years, and on this day, the public welcomed them back wholeheartedly and with open arms.

On the rooftop overlooking the street, as the people crowded the heroes to continue their standing ovation…Syndrome finally regained consciousness.

"Huh? No!" he sneered angrily.

"Did you see that?" asked an old-age pensioner to his friend. "_That's _the way to do it. That's old school."

"Yeah," agreed the other OAP enthusiastically. "No school like the old-school."

The heroes waved in gratitude to the public. And Hi-Jax in particular found it heart-warming being appreciated like this by the masses. One man in particular ran over to him and surprised him with a huge hug. Then he let go and shook his hand, saying "Thank you! Thank you, sir! You saved my life! You saved my world!"

Puzzled, Hi-Jax stared at the man.

Then quickly realised…it was the suicidal man he had rescued from those Dusks when he was last in Metroville a few months ago. The man who had slapped him and called him a freak for saving his life. Hi-Jax had responded by giving him the scare of his life. Now, the man had turned his life around, married and with a child. The woman came up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and introduced their baby to the teenager.

He smiled warmly at them all, looked to the reformed man and said, "You're very welcome, sir."

"Just like old times," laughed Frozone in admiration.

"Just like old times," nodded Mr Incredible, his hand on his wife's shoulder as he slapped Frozone good-naturedly across the back. Lucius grunted in pain and laughed, "Yeah. Hurt then too."

* * *

Hours later, the National Supers Agency (or NSA) had collected Hi-Jax and the Parr family. Lucius had had to go, already late for a reserved dinner date with his wife, Honey. Everyone was so proud and smiling. Dash was amazed by the fact that they were now in a limo, treated as celebrities and given the luxury treatment. He was so amazed that he was flicking the switches to the automatic windows, closing and opening them repeatedly. Helen was ringing home via just to make sure everything was alright with Jack-Jack and the babysitter Kari. She was so concerned that she didn't have time to tolerate Dash's impulsiveness and eventually told him to stop messing with the windows. Bob had then noticed that Violet was wearing her hair back. Vi stammered when he father had noticed, but when he remarked that it looked really good, she burst into a smile and said, "Thanks, Dad."

Now they were on their way home. Rick Dicker, high-ranking senior officer of the NSA (and Bob's long-time friend and confidante), was with them, briefing them on the aftermath of Operation: Kronos' failure and what their success would entail.

"We've frozen all of Syndrome's assets," Rick explained. "If he even sneezes, we'll be there with a hanky and a pair of handcuffs. The people of this world are indebted to you."

"Does this mean we can come out of hiding?" asked Mr Incredible hopefully.

"Let the politicians figure that one out," dismissed Rick, not caring about the opinions of petty-minded bureaucrats. "But I've been asked to assure you that we'll take care of everything else. You did _good_, Bob."

Smiling, he turned to the anomaly and said, "Hi-Jax, on behalf of the NSA and our government, I would like to thank you for your invaluable assistance and congratulate you on a job well done."

"Thank you, sir," nodded Hi-Jax. "Incidentally, what will happen to Mirage?"

"She gave us everything we wanted and more. She turned over state evidence and intel that allowed us to completely disable Syndrome's operations, confiscate his technology and arrest all of his henchmen and operatives. In return, she asked for immunity from prosecution for her actions and a prominent position for the NSA. With her help, we'll set up a brand new outpost on Nomanisan Island that allow us to keep tabs on any unusual activity."

"Fair enough," remarked the teenage exile, believing that Mirage was entitled to a second chance after her atonement.

"However, there's something you need to know. Initially we thought it was inconsequential, but when we acquired Syndrome's technology, Mirage was able to identify…"

"Bob, listen to this!" interrupted Helen. Violet moved over to allow her parents to share the phone. Their expressions alternated between confusion and shock over the babysitter's messages. She'd left about _fifty _messages on Helen's voicemail, getting more and more frantic and desperate. The screams sounded as though they were coming from a war zone, with Jack Jack's cries of excitement going on in the background. After all the chaotic messages, the last one from Kari was unnaturally calm and mellow. She apologised for freaking out but Bob and Helen's baby had 'special needs' that needed attention.

Hi-Jax's nostrils then flared as the limo pulled up at the Parrs' residence. His eyes narrowed as he recognised the hearts of Jack-Jack…and someone else.

"What's going on?" asked Rick, puzzled.

"Get your men out here right now," ordered Hi-Jax. "Something's wrong."

Kari's last message ended with a 'thank you' to Helen for sending out a replacement sitter.

"Replacement?" exclaimed Helen. "I didn't call a replacement!"

Bob burst out of the limo door with his family behind him. They all ran through the front door to see that the lights were off, the house was trashed…

…and Syndrome had his back to them.

He span round and fired a blast of zero-point energy, paralysing Bob, Helen, Vi and Dash in an energy field. Their frozen looks of horror remained…

…as they saw their arch-enemy cradling Jack-Jack.

"Shhh," hushed Syndrome, before breaking into a sinister chuckle. "The baby is sleeping."

Grinning evilly, he looked right to Mr Incredible and taunted, "You took away my future. I'm simply returning the favour. Oh, don't worry, I'll be a good mentor. Supportive, encouraging…_everything you WEREN'T._ And in time, who knows, he might make a good _sidekick_."

Laughing triumphantly, he flung the Incredibles through a wall, blasted a hole in the roof and rocketed up to his ship in the sky. The Parr family looked on in horror as they got up to their knees.

"He's getting away, Bob!" shrieked Helen. "We have to do something! We have to do something _now_!"

Jack-Jack had been woken up by the loud noises. The revelation that he was now in the hands of a stranger and the sight of his family was getting fainter and fainter made him absolutely distraught. His family ran out of the house, despairing and wondering what they could do to stop Syndrome. Rick Dicker had already stepped out of the limo and long called for help. Everyone else yelled for Hi-Jax's help, but he'd bizarrely vanished, adding to the Parrs' despair.

Still crying, Jack-Jack turned to face his kidnapper. He was still smug, triumphant and believing himself to have won.

Jack-Jack stopped crying…and angrily burst into flames.

Syndrome shrieked as the baby of fire threatened to incinerate his gauntlets. But without warning, Jack-Jack transmogrified himself into steel. The baby's weight now exponentially increased, Syndrome felt the metal suddenly pull him downward dramatically. Screaming, he tried to get a better hold and get to his ship, but it was barely what his Aero-boots could sustain.

Then Jack-Jack began to change form again to Syndrome's horror.

"Something's happening! What's happening?" demanded Helen, as everyone saw the faint signs of Syndrome's dilemma from down below. "We have to stop him! Throw something!"

"I can't! I might hit Jack-Jack!" yelled an equally worried Bob.

The Devil Jack-Jack went absolutely ballistic, hitting, kicking, clawing, choking and biting the bewildered, panic-stricken Syndrome all over his body. Tearing some of the villain's hair out humiliated him even more, as well as add to his torment. Then Jack-Jack finished the job by crawling down to Syndrome's left Aero-boot and ripping it off. Once again, Syndrome spiralled out of control and crashed into his own ship, denting its hull.

The impact also made the villain drop Jack-Jack.

Helen and everyone else watched in horror as the infant cried and plummeted to his doom.

Then she realised, "Throw _me_."

Turning to her husband, she yelled, "BOB, THROW _ME_!!!"

Picking her up like a javelin, Mr Incredible threw with all his might and accuracy. Elastigirl rocketed up into the sky and in seconds intercepted her baby son perfectly. Jack-Jack stopped crying and cooed in delight upon being reunited with his mother.

"NO!!!" screamed Syndrome, seeing the rescue as he struggled to maintain flight on his journey to the entry hatch of his jet. He succeeded and looked below to see Elastigirl stretch herself into a parachute and gently float herself and Jack-Jack down to the safety of the rest of the family.

"THIS ISN'T THE END OF IT!!!" laughed Syndrome maniacally. "I _WILL _GET YOUR SON EVENTUALLY!!! I'LL GET YOUR SON!!!"

Syndrome's rants of laughter were ended when he felt a powerful hand grab him by the back of his head.

"Oh, no…" He immediately realised who it was.

The arm flung him hard and high out of the hatch and onto the roof of his jet. He landed with a loud bang, putting another dent in the hull. He groaned and rubbed his head, trying to get with the program.

His eyes widened when he looked up to see a scowling Hi-Jax floating before him, light and dark energies channelling through his body.

"GET UP," ordered the anomaly, more than ready to give Syndrome the beating of his life.

The villain stared at the teenage exile, his eyes riddled with fear. Then his emotional state changed in a blink.

"You degenerate!" yelled Syndrome, absolutely enraged as he shot up to his feet and fired a blast of zero-point energy, freezing Hi-Jax in mid-air. Carrying the frozen anomaly effortlessly, he prepared to drop him above the exposed engines of his jet.

Looking at the teenager's own furious face, the villain bellowed, "Do you honestly think I'm _scared _of you?!"

Hi-Jax moved a limb.

Syndrome gasped in horror and disbelief.

"That's impossible. No one can move in the zero-point field!"

Hi-Jax then broke free of the energy field, making it dissipate upon escape.

"I _am _impossible, you little runt," snapped the anomaly as he thrust his hand towards the villain. A dark purple aura surrounded his body and levitated him. Syndrome was paralysed, unable to move or activate his weapons.

"What are you doing?!"

"And in answer to your first question…I've already seen inside your heart. _You've_ been scared _all - your - life_."

First Hi-Jax used his telekinesis to remove the remaining Aero-boot from Syndrome and make it explode.

"A sad, sore, pathetic loser who was _never_ good enough to be Mr Incredible's partner."

Hi-Jax then removed Syndrome's right Utility Gauntlet, and psychically dissembled it component by component. The villain was powerless to do anything but watch and listen to the taunts that were pushing all his buttons.

"A miserable, friendless little wet who never could grow up. _Forever_ a child who _butchered real heroes_ and couldn't even fill their boots, hold onto a relationship or live up to Sharak's expectations."

Hi-Jax then dissembled the left Utility Gauntlet. Syndrome screamed, "Stop it! Stop it!"

"You got money, power, great island and fantastic inventions…and you wasted all of that on a two-bit grudge, destroying cities, killing hundreds, BLOWING UP FAMILIES and KIDNAPPING CHILDREN!!! And do you know what that makes you, Syndrome? A loser. Take away all your fancy tricks, schemes and trappings of power…and you're nothing! You got everything but at the end of the day, you have absolutely nothing! And guess what, Buddy?"

Syndrome's fury over being called by his real name was overwhelmed by what Hi-Jax did last.

He removed the mask from the villain, made it float in mid-air, snapped his fingers…and made it burn to ashes.

Syndrome screamed his denial, spitting insults and death-threats at Hi-Jax, who merely twisted his hand, making the aura fade from the villain's body…

And slam hard onto the hull of the ship _again_.

Hi-Jax then walked up to Syndrome's hurt, fallen body, grabbed him roughly by the hair and fiercely belittled in his ear, "A loser who pretends to be a super is still just a loser."

Picking him up, Hi-Jax then wrenched Syndrome's arm round behind his back then applied a chin-lock round Syndrome's neck.

Fiercely whispering again, Hi-Jax furthered, "I won't kill you, Buddy. Because I'm _better _than you. All the Incredibles are better than you. Everyone you _killed _was better than you. And that's why you're going to _pay _for it. Rotting in jail for the rest of your life. Before you rot in hell."

"YOU CAN'T HOLD ME!!! NO JAIL CAN HOLD ME!!! I'M SYYYYYNNNNNN…!!!"

The front of the plane then exploded. Bob had retaliated to Syndrome's threats against his son by throwing his very-expensive sports car from the ground to smash through the cockpit. The explosion threw Hi-Jax and Syndrome off the plane and away from one another. The impact stunned the anomaly, and he tried to gather himself to wonder what had happened to Syndrome.

He looked in horror to see that Syndrome had landed in the groove of the jet's engine. Instantly awake, Syndrome was now panicking and scrambling to get away as the tip of his cape was nearly brushing the top of the turbine's blades.

Hi-Jax jumped and held his hand out to the villain. Stunned by the explosion, he could only react instinctively.

"Syndrome, take my hand!" he yelled getting closer and closer to reaching him. The villain, absolutely panic-stricken by his whole world crashing down around him, looked away from the turbine to see the anomaly trying to save him.

After seeing what the anomaly was, coupled with the villain's highly unbalanced state…the _mere sight _of Hi-Jax now exemplified Syndrome's fear to the point of no return.

He shrieked and then squealed as his cape finally got snagged in the engine.

Taking him with it.

Hi-Jax immediately placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. He winced and closed his eyes in horror over Syndrome's demise and nearly failed to pay attention to the second explosion that sent him hurtling off the ship to the world hundreds of feet below.

Bob also winced as the plane exploded in a funeral pyre. He knew Syndrome couldn't possibly have survived. Everyone looked up to see Helen and Jack-Jack nearly within landing distance. And Hi-Jax falling fast above them. Absolutely lost over Syndrome's death, the anomaly could only think of how he'd vowed to play this one by the book, to be what Bob and Helen were. To stop the villain and hand him over to the police.

And instead…Syndrome had now joined the fates of Karall and Reflection. Violent deaths of hated foes, filled with screaming, taunts and mind games…that would live on in the boy's nightmares.

All Hi-Jax could say as he fell was, "I tried to save him. I swear I did."

"HI-JAX!!! HI-JAX, FLY!!! THE PLANE'S GONNA CRUSH YOU!!!"

Snapping out of it, the anomaly turned to see Bob, Helen and Vi below, and the sight of the parachute-shaped Helen still holding onto her now-happy Jack-Jack.

"Look at Mommy, honey!" said Helen, who was oblivious to the flaming wreckage about to crush them all. Jack-Jack stopped cooing to look up at the explosions, rather confused.

"Everything's going to be alright," assured Elastigirl, smiling. She looked to Hi-Jax as he slowed his own descent to match hers and repeated in an assuring tone, "_Everything's_ going to be alright."

The anomaly didn't know what to say.

Helen and Hi-Jax touched down together, safe with Jack-Jack and huddled together with the rest of the family. The flaming wreckage landed on top of them a second later, obliterating the Parrs' house. Rick Dicker shielded his eyes from the mushroom cloud. He didn't want to believe what he had just seen. He'd known Robert Parr and his wife for over twenty years. They'd survived all this kind of stuff again and again millions of times.

Surely this was another day in the office.

Rick Dicker dared to look.

And smiled when he saw that it was.

Hi-Jax and the Parr Family slowly looked up and opened their eyes to see that Violet had gotten up her force field in time, completely protecting all of them from harm. Her redemption had come full circle.

"That's my girl," Helen smiled proudly. Violet returned the smile as she lowered her shields.

"Does this mean we have to move again?" asked Dash.

Bob hugged his son and laughed along with everyone else.

* * *

Much later, the NSA and fire brigade had secured the area, put the inferno out and were dealing with the wreckage of the late Syndrome's jet. Rick Dicker and Bob were conferring over what would happen next, in terms of relocating the Parr family, insurance, temporary residence etc. Violet and Dash were with them.

Helen (still in costume along with everyone else) stood opposite the smouldering ruins of their house, cradling Jack-Jack in her arms. He was just happy to be back with his family and laughed. Helen looked down to her son and smiled too, rocking him. Then she looked back to her destroyed home. For fifteen years she had enjoyed the life of a homemaker, having been satisfied with giving up the costume just to settle down. For the last three years…_this _house had truly been home. Not just for her, but for the entire family. It was here where they all felt truly settled.

And now that all their lives had changed again…their home was gone. Along with their possessions.

She should have felt despair. Instead, she felt content. Like the rest of the family. Just another obstacle in the life to deal with.

Time to move on.

Hi-Jax walked up to her and took his shades off.

"I'm sorry, Helen," he apologised sympathetically. "I know what it's like to lose a home."

"I know," nodded Elastigirl, remembering the teenager's revelations. "But it's not _that _important, really. We can always find another. And we still have each other."

Hi-Jax smiled warmly. Then thought back to Syndrome.

"I really wanted to bring Syndrome to justice," the anomaly confessed painfully. "I didn't want…"

"You can't blame yourself," interrupted Helen, turning to face him. "You _didn't _kill him."

"He's more than paid for his crimes now, Hi-Jax," said a returning Bob, putting a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "It's not important. We stopped him and saved the day. That counts for everything."

Violet and Dash rejoined the others, smiling at Hi-Jax, who in turn and nodded, "Yeah, I guess."

"Just remember something very important, young man," approached Helen in a motherly tone. "None of us _care_…whether you call yourself Adam, son of Mahanah, or Hi-Jax. To us, it doesn't matter what you've lost or what you're going to do in the future. Whatever secrets and burdens you carry in this life…you _never _have to face the world alone. All the great things you've done for us mean everything. From this day forward, Adam…you are an honorary member of the Parr family. You are mine and Bob's son, and you are the brother of our children. Now and forever. We thank you…and we love you."

Hi-Jax looked to all the smiling faces. A revering Bob, a loving Violet, an awestruck Dash, a giggling Jack-Jack and a proud Helen. The teenage exile blinked and shed a few tears, before nodding and sighing, "Thank you, Helen Parr…thank you _all_…for _saving my life_."

Helen handed Jack-Jack to Bob, who smiled down at his son. Hi-Jax and Helen hugged one another tightly and compassionately. When they separated, Violet stepped in and asked, "So, we're gonna see ya again _soon_, right?"

Hi-Jax grinned and laughed, "Oh, you'd better believe it, Vi!"

The two teenagers hugged each other goodbye. Then Hi-Jax and Dash gave each other a high five, then a thumbs-up, high-five, handshake and hug between the anomaly and Mr Incredible, and then Hi-Jax smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Jack-Jack, who smiled and waved. Their friendship was now cemented forever.

Hi-Jax was about to open a portal to leave when…

"Hi-Jax!" shouted Rick Dicker with a laptop tucked underneath his armpit. "There's something I needed to show you earlier. It's becoming more of an issue now."

"What do you mean?"

"See for yourself." He opened the laptop up to reveal a map of the worlds Hi-Jax had visited. It interlocked with other worlds that Hi-Jax guessed Sora was visiting. Right in the darkest corner of the galaxy…was a bizarre dark mass, cloudy with readings that were getting stronger.

A video image of Mirage popped up on screen.

"_Congratulations, by the way, Hi-Jax," _she smiled respectfully.

"You too, Mirage. What is that thing?"

"_We don't know yet. Whatever it is, the NSA only picked it up a few weeks ago."_

"Thought the NSA only dealt with matters related to Metroville."

"We _have _had to deal with _alien invasions _plenty of times over the years, kid," explained Rick. "The correct term is _cosmic_. We have to be prepared for anything."

"_They didn't think it was worth worrying about originally," _continued Mirage. _"But thanks to the acquisition of Syndrome's technology…we've discovered it's getting more powerful by the DAY."_

"Is it _natural_?" asked Hi-Jax, growing more fascinated by the minute.

"_Again, we don't know. But we're learning much more as time goes on. The readings have now doubled from what Rick was told a few hours ago. And even though we've only just detected this…THING…our resources are now implying that it may have existed for MONTHS. Maybe even YEARS."_

Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in concern.

_These worlds on screen…my path and Sora's path. They're linked together, crossing over, WEAVING…underneath this…THING, whatever it is. Is it Sharak? Organization XIII? Or something else?_

Turning to Rick, Hi-Jax nodded, "I'll look into it."

"I've got contacts who are much more specialised in this department then _we _are," explained Rick. "I'll give them a heads-up."

* * *

Castle Oblivion.

The Laboratory, where Sharak remained crippled, yet alive.

News of Operation: Kronos' failure had reached him hours ago. It was predicted…but _not _what he wanted to hear. Syndrome's genius had had such promise. Hi-Jax was defeated and captured…again. Yet the schizophrenic had ruined everything with his monologues and childish nature. What utter stupidity to blind him into thinking that the robot could _never _disobey him. And now because of him, the NSA had seized virtually all his technology, resources and assets.

_I cannot afford any more setbacks! _he told himself. _I need to get mobile NOW! I need Hi-Jax's data to cure me NOW!_

"My liege? Forgive me, but I said…"

"I was listening, Doctor," snapped Sharak to his chief scientist. "Coldstone, Miki and Rip Snap are all honing their skills and developing them nicely in Hades' Underworld Coliseum. Their performances are resulting in outstanding profits for both our parties. But increased revenue aside, there are _still _flaws in their performances."

"Umm…_yes_," reported Drakken, tugging his collar before flicking the sheets over on his clipboard to read off the test results. "Even though the Sanctuary incident was erased from his mind, Coldstone's still suffering from his internal struggle. The souls that inhabit his body fight with each other. We can't 'erase' one as they need each other for him to function. Miki fights perfectly, but she's striving to be too perfect. I know I reported that she had none of Kim Possible's faults to corrupt her, but her defeat at Hi-Jax's hands has somehow driven her to excel at the cost of her maintaining caution. And as for your pet Rip Snap…he's so hungry for blood, that he's virtually unstoppable once unleashed…but he's a danger to himself and his own allies. In battle or after battle."

"Exemplify soul 'Iago' and repress souls 'Othello' and 'Desdemona' to improve Coldstone. Miki will need some of her code rewriting. Have Auto perform the necessary corrections. As for Rip Snap…implant _this _into its brain."

A giant mechanical arm came into view and dropped a microchip into Drakken's hand.

"It's tuned to a specific frequency. Activate it…and tame the beast as a _reminder_. I will transmit the exact frequency accordingly to all my warriors once the chip is installed so they will have the ability to reign my attack dog in when necessary. And have Miki's corrections done _first_. I need her as my scout when Ilxsa isn't around."

"Understood, my liege!" saluted Drakken, who left the lab to carry out the corrections. Sharak withdrew the robotic arm. The scientist had wired him up to all this machinery and devices to compensate in some way for his immobility. It was like being given a bicycle to journey through freeways instead of a car. And yet again, it would have to suffice.

_But for now, Xemnas. ONLY for now_.

Ilxsa then teleported into the lab and bowed to her superior.

"Hi-Jax has departed Metroville. We will continue to track his movements."

"You will do _more _than that, Ilxsa. You will _bring _him to me and you will _cure _me."

"And we will also renew our offensive against the Organization. The tide will be turned back in _our _favour."

"I do not want to hear words, my second-in-command," growled Sharak, his eye blaring sinister red. "I want to see _results_. And I want to see them _NOW!!!"_

Ilxsa stood up and produced a disc from her sleeve. Sharak just stared.

"I could not save all of Syndrome's legacy," she unemotionally explained. "So I chose to save the _best _part."

The Unknown inserted the disc into the computer's drive. It soon loaded and the designs came up on screen. _More _robots, humanoid-sized but very similar to the Omnidroid's sophistication. Sharak's impatience subsided and was replaced with renewed interest.

"These plans were for a _team _of automatons designed to kill supers. The specifications included bonus features which should come in useful."

Sharak stared for a moment as he saw the presentation conclude with the final phase for this "Operation: Gestalt".

"So I see."

"Unfortunately, the specifications _are _incomplete," continued the Darkest Exile. "Doubtless because it was an idea Syndrome never finished and that it was mostly being kept in reserve. We will have much to do to bring these robots on-line. My team was able to salvage what materials and resources we could from Nomanisan Island. However, we _will _need more. And dividing our efforts between this, Hi-Jax's capture, our defences, restoring your body, the Darkness-Nothing War and the conquest of Kingdom Hearts will surely strain all our resources to breaking point."

"The time for concerns is long over," dismissed Sharak. "To cower and be plagued with doubt is not my way. I have long accepted the possibility of defeat and will use that acceptance to drive me _never _to fail again. I want preparation for construction of these new troops to begin _immediately_. Find exactly what Xemnas _originally _built this castle for. _That _is the key to restoring my body. Contact David Xanatos to tell him that I wish to renew our dealings. And as for Hi-Jax…_get him_. I don't care what it takes and I don't want any more failures. Just bring him to me."

"As you command," nodded Ilxsa. "Also, you should know…Axel is planning on using Kairi to see Roxas again."

"Is he now?"

The news made Sharak chuckle evilly.

"I think it's time we showed the world that we _belong _in this _'official' _continuity."

* * *

_**I'll try and update soon. Thanks, loyal fans!**_

**_D.C. Wood (12/03/10)_**


	24. Chapter 24: Star Command

**Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War**

By

Daniel Wood

**Chapter 24: Star Command**

Castle Oblivion, the castle laboratory.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The explosion wiped out all the Technician Heartless and ravaged the rest of the lab and its equipment. Behind the ruins of a workbench, a cowering Drakken slowly peeked from his cover. Seconds later, Auto unfolded from the ceiling and lowered to observe the aftermath of their failure.

The monstrous figure, with wild raging light eating away at his dark being, thundered towards the pair through the valley of flames. He approached the remains of the bench and swatted it aside. Drakken, diminutive in comparison, remained on his knees, sweating and shivering in terror.

The amateurish scientist gulped and nervously smiled, "Only a temporary setba…"

Sharak screamed again and backhanded him far and away from him, where he crash-landed into some more equipment. Then he turned to Auto and used his telekinesis to pull the robot wheel over to his grasp. The emotionless wheel just analysed the energy readings from his master who leered deep into his unblinking red eye and growled, "You are _both _insulting my intelligence and dignity with these 'SETBACKS'!"

The contaminated darkness then yanked Auto down to the floor and let go, sending him bouncing around through the workings of his ceiling track like a pinball. Sharak screamed again as another surge of light erupted out of his right pectoral, disintegrating his arm.

"DO EITHER OF YOU CRETINS SEE?!" belittled the fallen emperor. "ALL YOUR INEFFECTUAL TREATMENT IS DOING IS _AGGRAVATING _MY CONDITION! AS THE DARKNESS INTENSIFIES…SO DOES THE LIGHT! AND THAT'S GETTING _STRONGER _WITH EACH SO-CALLED 'VICTORY' OF MINE!"

Sharak then morphed into a giant two-headed dragon, roared and breathed fire, consuming more of the lab as alarms blared. Drakken had just gathered himself up when he noticed that Sharak's breath of flame was deliberately trying to scorch him.

"_Incorrect, sir_," announced Auto as he stopped 'pinballing' to restabilize his mechanical systems. _"Analysis indicates a twenty percent improvement in your health and mobility compared to your previous episode."_

Sharak stopped breathing fire long enough to glare at his systems analyst.

"_Ergo, these treatments have proven that they are necessary to sustain your being while we work towards purging your light contamination. With the probability of Hi-Jax's assimilation ever-decreasing, future disappointments could be avoided if we went ahead with the alternative procedure we outlined for you."_

Sharak calmed down and resumed his humanoid form, partially regenerating his body and completely reversing all the damage he had done to the lab, albeit grunting and panting. The creature then staggered back towards his life-support machine, where the cybernetic armour components were clamped onto his body. Cables attached themselves to Sharak's hide and he was once more sustained and kept alive.

"The Dialysis Project is out of the question," Sharak declared resolutely as the computer screens displayed a demonstration of the procedure.

"_Sir…"_ began Auto.

"I said 'no' and I mean 'no'! Filtering the light out of my being is experimental and untested. My resources are already strained to breaking point and this will only leave me even more vulnerable than I am now. The risk is too great. And that is my final word. DRAKKEN!!!"

The blue scientist immediately jumped out from behind the table.

"Yes, my lord?" he asked timidly.

"How goes Operation: Gestalt?"

"The-the prototypes are _individually _coming along nicely…"

"I want an official status report in the next hour."

"Yes, my liege!" smiled Drakken, snapping off a salute before walking off. When he was out of sight, he tugged his collar and gulped to himself, _Best not tell him that one of them blew up and we had to rebuild it entirely when they tried to merge._

"Auto, how much ground have we lost to the Organization?"

"_None. Ilxsa has ensured our conquests remain unchallenged due to our defence strategy. But our withdrawal from the Boarder Point has turned the tide of the war back in Organization XIII's favour. We've have completely stalled in our advancement. Our troops are losing more battles. And Nobodies have been sighted over the hills far away."_

"Then they _know_," growled Sharak. "And they're _coming_. What of Xanatos?"

"_Ilxsa has contacted David Xanatos. He is interested in resuming negotiations but cannot oblige until his prison sentence has been completed."_

"That's _useless_ to me! How can I acquire my new body if he cannot do anything to provide it?!"

"_Magica has uncovered the 'Room of Awakening'."_

Sharak's exposed eye widened.

"Are you _certain?_"

"_Affirmative_._ The door cannot yet be breached, but Ilxsa has been able to hack into the data of the room via a pirate link."_

"How? Show me!"

Auto punched a few commands into the console and the answers all came up on screen.

Sharak licked his teeth in delight.

"_Ilxsa's_ work?"

"_Affirmative, Captain. We have direct contact with the Master Control Program."_

"Then put him _through_, Auto. I'm sure we have _so _much to discuss."

* * *

Star Command.

The main orbital station, home to _the _galactic enforcement agency in the whole wide world. Dedicated to justice, to protect the world order and uphold the Galactic Alliance to ensure peace.

Now in the Briefing Room, a meeting was in session.

And one person felt very out of place.

The girl was young - _sixteen _- the _minimum _age required to sign up as a space ranger. She had wanted to see the stars ever since she was an infant. She'd studied hard at school, trained and dedicated herself to get to this level, endured so much sacrifice and exhaustion…and all her efforts had finally paid off.

Now she was here. _Space Ranger_.

Amidst _real _heroes.

Commander Nebula, _the _chief of all Star Command, and his elite Team Lightyear, captained by Buzz Lightyear, the finest Space Ranger who ever lived. With his team in tow, the highly-skilled and spunky Mira Nova, a Tangean Princess with ghosting powers, the big, brave and bumbling Booster, and the indestructible yet flippant robot, X.R.

And then there was _him_.

No one knew _that _much about Hi-Jax, but he'd built himself quite a rep in the time he'd been around and come on board for this assignment with glowing reports from NSA agent Rick Dicker.

The members of Team Lightyear, the rookie had come to know in all these months she'd lived on Star Command, recognising her potential and guiding her toward her destiny. She knew Buzz and all the others like they were her family.

Yet with Hi-Jax, standing so noble yet volatile at the same time…there was no way to tell what he was truly like. All those energy readings, those conflicting neuroses and morals…

It made her feel more nervous then ever.

_What did I do to get involved in this mission? _she asked herself. _This is unbelievable! Am…am I gonna be able to DEAL with all this?_

"Ranger Cyra!" barked Commander Nebula.

The teenager stood to attention. She battled with her nervousness and replied with a disciplined "Sir!"

"Any _suggestions _from you?" he tested. Everyone else in the room shifted their eyes from the holographic projection of the bizarre energy mass and over to Cyra. Refusing to 'uhhh…', she replayed the debriefing her subconscious had recorded and within a second, she replied with, "Yes, sir. Given the growing levels of power that this energy mass is emitting, it is logical to assume that this is a cloud of _hearts_, given their unmatched source of power. The fact that their location is vague and well-shielded also implies that they may be in the darkest corner of the galaxy, far out of reach from even our finest vessels."

Buzz smiled and nodded at Cyra in approval. Commander Nebula fiddled his moustache before grunting his conceding.

"Humph. Guess you _were _listening after all, rookie."

Hi-Jax breathed in deep and then exhaled. He could _feel _the power growing from so far away. The anomaly then turned to the rookie and asked, "So given your estimate…you reckon that this could be…_Kingdom Hearts_?"

"Or at least something just as powerful, sir," nodded Cyra, warily.

"Don't call me 'sir'," dismissed Hi-Jax. "I'm your equal, not your superior. Call me Hi-Jax, that's what my friends call me."

The rookie was taken aback by that comment. Hi-Jax had just regarded her openly as an equal and a friend. The subsequent smile he flashed at her made her smile back, now feeling better about her place here.

"Thing is about Kingdom Hearts," explained the anomaly, "is that it's the heart of all worlds. All our hearts are born there. The brightest light shining in the darkest depths of the endless abyss."

"Say what?" asked X.R.

"Think of it as a great big factory in a place that's _really _hard to get to."

"Oh, you mean like the Big Al's Sausage factory? No one knows the secret recipe to those things! So well hidden! Rumoured to be kept in their vault which no one can get to."

"Shut up, X.R.," said Mira.

"_Anyway_…" continued Hi-Jax, "the door to Kingdom Hearts was _sealed_. Nothing can get there now. It would take the seven princesses of heart to open it. And the state Sharak is in at the moment, he can't access it. So this thing, _whatever _it is…it _can't be _Sharak that's behind it."

"I've studied all the reports," came in Buzz. "Incidentally, your friend Sora's exploits have also been well documented in the King's reports to us."

"King Mickey?" exclaimed the teenage exile. "You know him? You've seen him? Is he safe? Is he alright?"

"_Know _him?" laughed Commander Nebula. "He helped _build _Star Command! How do you think we know so much about the worlds and all that heart stuff? We learned it with him!"

Hi-Jax's eyes widened in surprise.

"Last we heard, he's absolutely fine," furthered Buzz.

"Do you know where he is now?"

Everyone shook their heads. Hi-Jax sighed sadly.

"So…if this 'Kingdom Hearts' is where we all come from…" began Booster, scratching his head, "that makes it one-of-a-kind, yeah?"

"Pretty much," nodded the anomaly.

"So…this funny energy reading _can't _be that then, right?"

"But these readings…" came in Cyra, starting to feel like she had something to contribute, "they're _approaching identical_ to the _minimal _ones that Star Command has analysed from Kingdom Hearts before it becomes too vast to even comprehend. It cannot be chalked up to coincidence."

"Well, it's not like someone could just _build_ a new 'heart of all worlds', right?" asked Mira to Hi-Jax.

Hi-Jax paused and looked to the Tangean Princess, answering with a serious, "That's a _very _good question, Mira."

"Yeah, well that's what _you're _here for, kid," said Nebula, folding his arms. "_You're_ the Heartless/Nobody fightin' expert, you came under glowing recommendations from the NSA! So _start _giving a very good answer to the very good question! We track this thing to the estimated point of origin, find out what it is and stop it! Lightyear, ready your team and prepare to move out in 1500 hours."

"Yes, sir!" saluted Buzz. "Come on, people! Let's move!"

Cyra felt lost again very quickly. Was she coming on this mission too? Of course she was, she'd been drafted to this top secret development, but…this was a field mission with the _very _best of Star Command. Surely…she…

"Ranger Cyra!" ordered Buzz. "Don't stand about!"

"Yes, sir!" the rookie complied, quickly following suit and chastising herself for nervousness. As Team Lightyear and Cyra left the Briefing Room, Hi-Jax was left alone with Commander Nebula, who shifted his attention to the anomaly, raising an impatient eyebrow.

"You really don't like me, do you, Nebula?"

"That's _Commander _Nebula to you, punk!" shouted the senior ranger in the teenager's face, who didn't even flinch. "And I don't like anyone who travels the stars without _any _kind of authorisation! If things weren't code read with the Heartless and Nobodies, and the NSA and the King hadn't put in a good word for you, I'd see to it you'd be rotting in a cell forever and ever!"

"That's fine," shrugged the anomaly, not bothered in the slightest, "I'm not here to be liked by some smelly, decrepit, peg-legged old goat who shouts more than he helps. And I've got much better things to do than waste time arguing with you…or reduce you to atoms with a blink of an eye."

Nebula's face was overcome with shock over Hi-Jax's comeback. Then growled at the teenager who turned his back to join his team-mates.

"I'm here to do my job, commander. That's all _you _should be concerning yourself with."

* * *

Now on the ship, Team Lightyear, Hi-Jax and Cyra were flying through the stars to investigate the strange anomaly. Buzz and Mira were piloting, with Hi-Jax standing behind them.

"Nice ship, Buzz," remarked the anomaly.

"Thanks," grinned the space ranger. "That friend of yours is really something. Thanks to him, we're able to get closer to the anomaly much better than we've been able to in months. All these new improvements to the systems made by that device of yours. At this rate we should reach the energy mass in thirty minutes."

"Yeah, Wade's really a great pal to have in your corner. Now, one thing I don't get…Rick Dicker explained to me that this thing, whatever it is…may have existed for _years_. Years doesn't quite do Kingdom Hearts justice. The heart of all worlds has existed since the _dawn of time_."

"When we're close enough, you'll be able to know for sure the 'hows' and the 'whys', won't you?" asked Mira.

"Yup," nodded the anomaly. He looked over his shoulder to see X.R. falling over and Booster accidentally landing on top of him, making him squawk and the large red alien apologise. Hi-Jax just smiled and then turned to Cyra, looking out to the stars, lost in a world of her own.

"Mira," asked the teenage exile, "Cyra seems like a nice girl, don't you think?"

"You fancy her, huh?" the princess grinned.

"No, _nothing _like that," assured Hi-Jax. "She just interests me, that's all. A techno-organic life form, half-human, half-machine. Where is she from again?"

"The planet Machinera, where machines and humans treat each other equally, to the point where hybrids began to be produced."

"She seems a little nervous."

"First field mission," explained Buzz. "She's riding with the best."

"You think she's gonna be okay?"

The anomaly noticed Cyra looking over her shoulder at them, and then quickly turning back to the port window.

"She passed level TEN training!" smiled Mira. "The kid can _go_, Hi-Jax!"

"That's why she's here," agreed Buzz. "Besides, her scanning abilities will be a major asset to this mission."

The anomaly looked at the young techno-organic and found himself fascinated. She was only two years younger than him, and here she was, fully-trained and qualified space ranger on her first field mission. It made Hi-Jax think of himself and Jaron, Sora and Riku…and Roxas.

Children going off to fight monsters and save the world.

The eighteen-year-old walked over to her.

"You okay?"

Jumping out of her trance, Cyra came out with, "Uh, yeah! Absolutely!"

Hi-Jax smiled and said, "I'm sorry if I scare you. I don't blame you for feeling so nervous around me."

Cyra swallowed her anxiety again and once more donned her brave face, "You read my heart."

"I can _feel _it. I can feel them from so many worlds…including and especially this energy mass. It's the most _special _hearts that stay with me forever once I encounter them."

Cyra stared at Hi-Jax long and hard.

"Your heart…it's so…scarred, but so strong."

"You read my heart," smiled Hi-Jax warmly. "So why did you decide to join Star Command then?"

Cyra turned to the window to see all the worlds that they were passing. Smiling, she began, "The _stars_. It all started when my parents gave me telescopic implants for my birthday. For the first time ever, I could see all the other worlds on the horizon. I wanted to fly out and touch them, but my dad said I couldn't. I _mustn't _touch."

"The rules of the Council of Light," nodded Hi-Jax.

"Then the stars came to _us_," continued the rookie. "Thousands of Heartless, raining down from the sky, along with the meteors. It scared me every bit as much as it amazed me. I've never been so close to dying before or since then. And then I saw the Space Rangers, flying through the air and blasting away. And then I saw the King come along…with his key, destroying the creatures, closing this great big keyhole and saving the world…"

Turning to Hi-Jax, Cyra then added, "That's when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. An adventurer, an explorer…so I finished school, and then spent the last nine months training to get here."

"It's not all fun and games, Cyra," warned the anomaly.

"I know. I studied all the health and safety warnings, the Star Command mission manual, listened to all the stories Buzz and the others could give. All those intense training sessions…the Heartless simulations, using my powers for the very first time, learning to master them…everything I've been working towards my whole life…and here I am, both amazed and terrified of where I'm standing right now."

Hi-Jax grinned in approval.

"Spoken like a true anomaly," he told her. Cyra gulped and then smiled back, "This is just _so _cool!"

A terrific shot then blasted against the hull of the ship, rocking all the occupants. Buzz and Mira fought for control as a barrage of laser fire immediately followed.

"What was that?!" screamed X.R. only just having managed to recover from being flattened by Booster.

"Heartless," grimaced Hi-Jax as he got up to his feet.

"Unidentified Emblems," reported Cyra, activating her scanners as she looked out the window. "They match no registered file in Star Command database."

Hi-Jax shot her an impressed glance. Buzz stood up out of his seat and turned to his crew.

"Booster, X.R., take control of the ship and keep us on course! Mira, Hi-Jax, Cyra, we're going outside and taking care of these guys!"

"See you out there!" nodded the teenage exile as he teleported into space.

"Hi-Jax, you don't have a space suit!" protested Cyra.

_Doesn't bother me, Cyra. Now come on!_

Within minutes, Hi-Jax was joined by Buzz and Mira, high-pressure space wings unfolded and helmets up. When Cyra emerged, Hi-Jax was truly impressed.

No longer was she the cute little girl with the ginger hair and innocent eyes. Now she was robotic, well armoured, fast and agile with strong blue eyes with powerful wings and many armaments and devices at her disposal.

"Ready, people?" asked Buzz. Hi-Jax and Mira called out their readiness. Cyra shivered a little and hesitantly replied, "I think so, Buzz."

"READY, Ranger Cyra?!" shouted Lightyear louder.

"Yes, sir!" she replied back, more confidently this time.

"Good girl! To infinity…and beyond!" As they all spread out to take the fight to the enemy, Cyra giggled in excitement. She'd heard her idol say that time and again for so many years…and now, she was actually fighting by his side.

She finally knew how Booster felt.

The Heartless were indeed new ones, the latest created by Drakken. Space suit wearing creatures dubbed Astronauts, all armed with powerful lasers. And led by Agent Z.

Buzz's skill was truly amazing to behold. All those stories of the legend of Buzz Lightyear couldn't do him justice. Seeing him actually fly and shoot so many Heartless out of sky…made Hi-Jax and Cyra both understand just why the man was so revered. The fact that he was smiling while doing his job made Hi-Jax feel so impressed.

Mira was just as skilled as Buzz in aerial acrobatics and sharp-shooting and was able to take out just as many as her commander. A squadron of Astronauts soon surrounded her however, all lasers fully locked and primed.

And the others were all preoccupied with troubles of their own.

Mira just smiled and turned herself intangible. The streams of laser fire passed through her harmlessly and the Heartless wiped themselves out.

"Brainless critters with guns…" sighed Mira, shaking her head. "When's their boss ever gonna learn?"

Hi-Jax had just carved through another squadron when he saw Agent Z transform his robot arm into a flamethrower and shoot at him. Hi-Jax narrowly missed being scorched and then regrouped to engage the mercenary.

"Hi, Warpy," smirked the teenager striking hard and fast with his swords.

"Normally, I'd cut you some slack and simply make you bleed, Hi-Jax," said Agent Z, his menacing voice attempting to rattle the anomaly (with zero effect). "But my boss wants you alive for _himself_."

Hi-Jax continued to strike away, but he soon noticed that Darkmatter's armour was ten times tougher than the previous time they'd fought. Darkmatter was able to block and deflect even Hi-Jax's attacks, and respond in kind with laser blasts and shoulder grenades.

"Nice upgrades, Z! Flamethrower that works in space, faster rockets, tougher armour…is Sharak really that sure investment in you will pay off this time?"

"You nearly destroyed my rep permanently back in Ruination City, kid…but I've gotten so much better since then. As Lightyear will soon discover."

"Whatever, loser."

The two continued to dance in a cloud of explosions, and a show of energy clashes.

* * *

Back at Star Command H.Q.

The Crystallic Fusion Core, the source of all power on the entire station.

More importantly…_the heart of the world_.

The entire world was now on red alert. Every ranger was fighting…and losing.

To the massive invasion party of Dusks.

The last of the rangers had fought valiantly to protect the Keyhole, but it was all for nothing.

The last space ranger saw his comrades savagely ripped apart by the Nobodies and darted for the communication panel. Slamming his finger hard onto the button, he yelled tearfully, "Commander Nebula! They've penetrated the Core! We need reinforcements! We need…!"

The panel exploded into a shower of sparks and components, making the ranger fall to the ground. More sparks fizzed from the ruined panel to add to the ranger's torment. Cowering, he looked up to see a hooded man with a gun arrow pointed at him.

"Sorry, sport," mocked the Freeshooter, "but Nobodies _don't_ like squealers."

Xigbar withdrew his weapon…and then set the Dusks on the last space ranger.

* * *

Back in Deep Space, the Heartless Astronauts were still relentless, yet the ship was still on course for the mysterious energy mass. Hi-Jax and Agent Z continued to clash.

"So you're petty because I took you down," mocked the anomaly, launching rings of light at the mercenary, who deflected them away with his new energy sabre. "_That _I get. I also get why Sharak wants me. But why the interest in this great big collection of hearts?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" mocked Darkmatter, who fired a missile from his arm at the teenager. Hi-Jax cast a Blizzaga spell to render the projectile harmless and then summoned Vexen's shield and Larxene's daggers to renew his offensive.

"Well, yeah…I _would _like to know, Z-boy. That's why I _asked_."

"Nice try."

Agent Z transformed his arm into a laser cannon and fired powerful blasts at the ice shield. The teenager retaliated by throwing the knives for the traitor's helmet. Darkmatter span round at high speeds to help deflect the lethal projectiles. As the two continued to dance, Hi-Jax noted how much better Darkmatter had become since last they fought. Back in Ruination City, he was desperate, fighting on his last wings and easily crushed. Working for Sharak hadn't just meant superior armour and weapons…it had made the mercenary reinvigorated, sharper with regained confidence. He was truly holding his own.

As for Darkmatter, he truly felt nightmarish and unbeatable in his Agent Z guise. And a true professional as well. His orders from Ilxsa were to capture Hi-Jax, kill everyone else and investigate the bizarre energy mass that Auto had also learned of from hacking into the NSA. Sharak knew that the Organization had _somehow_ claimed dominion over Kingdom Hearts. This growing assemblage of hearts _must _be what they meant. All hearts returned to Kingdom Hearts in the end.

But the door to darkness was sealed. It would take the princesses and the most powerful beings in the universe to reopen it again. And that plan had been tried and failed.

So what did the Organization have to do with this? What exactly were they trying to accomplish for all these years?

It was Warp's mission to find out. And keep it to himself so that Hi-Jax couldn't gain any kind of advantage.

Meanwhile, Buzz had just taken care of more Astronauts when…

"_Buzz!" _wailed Booster from the ship. _"Commander Nebula just called! Star Command is under attack! Nobodies are on the station! They need help!"_

"Just stay on course, you two!" ordered Buzz, grimacing in frustration over what to do. "Blast! We're too far away!"

"We can't just leave them all to die!" protested Mira.

"X.R., what's our ETA?"

"_Fifteen minutes, barring the fact that WE'RE gonna be DEAD in FIVE minutes!"_

More Astronauts started to fade into existence and fired at the ship's hull. Hi-Jax landed a terrific right across Agent Z's chest, damaging his armour and driving him away.

"Buzz!" he yelled. "Keep them safe! Take out Warp and the Heartless will fall! Cyra and I will go back!"

The rookie had just taken out three Heartless and was amazed that Hi-Jax had thought enough of her to go back with him.

"Hi-Jax!" protested Buzz. "We're gonna need you both to analyse…!"

"I don't care about that anymore! Star Command's more important! And I'm gonna need back up! We can get there in a second! Just take care of things here! And good luck!"

Grabbing Cyra's hand, Hi-Jax teleported the two of them away from the battle. Buzz and Mira only had a second to be amazed before Agent Z rocketed towards them with his Heartless in tow, ordering them to kill the enemy.

"You've had this coming a long time, Lightyear!" yelled Agent Z. Buzz just smiled and flew to engage his former partner and one-time betrayer. Mira likewise smiled as she flew to protect Booster and X.R.

Both rangers wished Hi-Jax good luck in return.

* * *

Back on Star Command, Xigbar had withdrawn the Dusks, taken care of any 'collateral damage', and had now found the Keyhole. Summoning the Neo-Shadows, Xigbar then turned and yawned before unenthusiastically directing the Heartless to enter the heart of the world.

"Go on, kiddies," dismissed No. 2, uncaring. "Knock yourselves out."

"Initiate emergency override. COMPLETE SYSTEMS LOCKDOWN OF FUSION CORE."

"_Complying,"_ replied the automated voice. Xigbar looked in front to see Hi-Jax smirking at him, waving hello. The mechanical Cyra's eyes glowed and then subsided. Xigbar then turned to see that the Keyhole sealed itself just before the Heartless could enter. They leapt into nothing but mid-air. Cyra then activated her laser sight and fired plasma blasts from her cannon arm, completely incinerating the Neo-Shadows.

The anomaly turned to Cyra as she glowed and transformed back to her human form. Her space ranger look was now revitalised. No longer did she have the fear of a rookie. Now Cyra was focused on the mission, letting the discipline of her training and dedication ready her for this battle.

"I _like _you," nodded Hi-Jax, impressed.

"Thanks," Cyra smiled back, much less sheepish. Turning to face the hooded Xigbar, she tightened her arm, readying the Star Command laser on her space suit for anything.

"By the authority of Star Command, I order you to surrender!"

"As if!" laughed Xigbar, who summoned both his gun arrows and immediately opened fire. Summoning his Snipers to take vantage points across the whole of The Core, the Nobodies opened fire to take both Hi-Jax and Cyra down.

Hi-Jax summoned his swords and span them spectacularly round his body to protect himself from the deathly hail, his arms moving in a trailing blur. Cyra had used her targeting systems to identify her targets and using her human muscles to dodge roll and somersault out of harm's way, she took cover, locked on and fired blasts from her laser, taking out Xigbar's snipers quickly and effectively.

"Who is that man?" called out Cyra amidst the shooting.

"Oh, his name's Xigbar!" Hi-Jax replied cheerfully, as he teleported away from the Freeshooter's fire and rematerialised to a safe position, then unleashed his Eruption attack. Xigbar avoided the combination and teleported to land upside down beneath a gantry, where he returned fire. Hi-Jax summoned a shield of darkness to repel the shards back at No. 2, who teleported again to fire from a different angle.

Smiling back to Cyra, who had now joined in on the attack on the Unknown, Hi-Jax carried on with, "He's what you'd call a coward and a bed wetter. My brother Jaron made him…"

"You are just SO _annoying_, runt!" yelled the 'enraged' Freeshooter, teleporting again to the highest levels and combining his weapons into a rifle. "Normally, people who get under my skin wind up _dead_!"

"Yeah…" taunted Hi-Jax back as he ducked for more cover, and Cyra turned to stealth mode so that Xigbar couldn't lock onto her. "Xemnas wants me alive to wipe out Sharak, Sharak wants me alive to make himself feel better. That must _hurt_…knowing how _special _I am, knowing how much you all _need _me. Well, it eats away at Sharak more than that light of his…but I don't see why _you _guys should complain. I mean…it's not exactly _heartbreaking_ for you."

Hi-Jax summoned a massive Thundaga spell to reign down on Xigbar, who narrowly escaped being electrocuted. Rolling to recovery, No. 2 reloaded and prepared to fire again.

"You really think you're _that _special, don't you, _Adam_?" sneered the Freeshooter. "You're still a tool at the end of the day. _Everyone's _tool. And when you finally fix things…what's gonna be left for you _then_?"

"I've heard that joke all too many times, slacker. Wasn't funny the first time."

"Who's joking?"

"Like I said before…who ever takes _you _seriously?"

"You wanna know why we're here?" bellowed Xigbar as he revealed himself to unleash a barrage of fire at the anomaly, who dodge-rolled out of harm. "You want answers, you want a happy ending…well you're never gonna _get _one. That's why I'm here."

"The boasts of a meagre Nobody," sighed Hi-Jax, his voice echoing throughout The Core. Xigbar ceased firing to determine where the anomaly could've got to. The annoying techno-freak had also somehow avoided detection. They'd both completely vanished.

Xigbar waited patiently for the axe to drop.

He span round, splitting his rifle back into two gun arrows and simultaneously opened fire at both Hi-Jax and Cyra as they attempted to rush him.

The shards cut them both down to pieces.

The realisation of what Xigbar had just done hit him hard.

_Damn! Hi-Jax is supposed to be alive to fulfil his role! Oh…Xemnas is NOT gonna be a happy…_

Cyra then reappeared, firing two quick and successive laser blasts that knocked both the gun arrows out of Xigbar's hands. Leaving him open to a sucker punch from Hi-Jax that put him flat on his back. No. 2 groaned up at the ceiling and grunted as Hi-Jax put his foot on his chest and put his light sword to his throat. Cyra joined in, smiling as she had her laser locked on to in-between Xigbar's eyes.

"Like I was saying…" grinned the rookie, quoting Buzz, "I order you to surrender."

"Ever the stupid one," sighed Hi-Jax, shaking his head at the Nobody. "Still can't tell the difference between fabrications and real deals, can you? No one will ever take you seriously…loser."

"Keep up the gloating, Hi-Jax," smirked Xigbar. "Celebrate to your heart's content with the little techno-freak and dream about seeing Sora and all his cute friends again. Whatever makes you _happy_. Your attitude's only just setting you up for a very big downfall."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"The islands of destiny are _waiting _for you, kid. Along with all the other chances to relive your past."

"What do you mean?" glared the teenager icily.

"Sorry, sport," mocked the Freeshooter, "but Nobodies don't like _squealers_."

No. 2 then teleported away, his mission complete. The anomaly cursed under his breath, whereas Cyra held her hand to her ear. Shocked over the latest development, she turned to Hi-Jax and said, "That was Commander Nebula! We have to get to the Science Bay now!"

* * *

Later, Hi-Jax, Cyra and Team Lightyear were all assembled in the Science Bay. Agent Z had been forced to withdraw after Buzz had defeated him. The Heartless naturally retreated, but not before crippling the ship and forcing the rest of the team to return to headquarters.

The moment Hi-Jax had made it back to the station, immediately turned the tide against the Nobody invaders. His power had helped the space rangers fight back and drive the enemy off. Xigbar's defeat had also forced them to withdraw completely, but not without leaving many rangers either dead or turned into Heartless.

It also turned out that the attack on The Core had been a diversion. Organization XIII had caught on to both Hi-Jax and Sharak discovering the energy mass and did want either of them learning more, so had left them to fight each other, while Xigbar attempted to take the heart of the world…

Leaving the unprotected Science Bay vulnerable to attack.

"Craters!" spat Commander Nebula. "Those stinkin' Nobodies sure knew where to hit us. With our computer systems and science facilities trashed, we've got no way of being able to pinpoint that 'heart of all whatever' now! We can't detect it! And it's gonna take ages to clean up all that other mess! Our operation's as good as crippled!"

"At least Star Command has been _saved_, sir," commented Buzz, turning to Hi-Jax in approval. "That's the _important _thing."

The teenager smiled. Cyra was stood to attention beside him, not daring to breathe, remembering who she was in the presence of.

"I'll admit you did _good_, kid," Nebula nodded begrudgingly. "You saved the day."

"_I _didn't," Hi-Jax replied, shaking his head. He turned to Cyra and nodded, "_We_ did."

The techno-organic was again surprised by how high in regard Hi-Jax was holding her. A scan of his heart indicated that he was being sincere. Shaking off her surprise, she snapped a salute to Commander Nebula.

"Sir!"

"Well, Ranger Cyra," remarked Nebula folding his arms, studying her, "I'd say you past your first field mission. But don't let it get to your head. 'Cause now the real mission lies ahead for you."

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

Nebula then turned to Hi-Jax. The senior space ranger took out a gold medal and pinned it to Hi-Jax's coat.

"Hi-Jax, as of this moment, I hereby grant you official authorisation to journey to other worlds, as well as complete sanction to involve yourself in the _affairs _of other worlds."

Hi-Jax smiled and nodded his thanks, appreciating the honour bestowed to him.

"Does this mean you _like_ me now…commander?"

"I don't believe in wasting time arguing with you, punk!" barked Nebula. Hi-Jax nearly laughed. He caught that small betrayal of a smile afterwards.

"You're hereby charged with bringing that ugly Sharak and those Organization hoodies down! So get going! Ranger Cyra!"

"Sir!"

"I don't want that punk slackin' when he should be workin'! So _you're_ going with him to keep in line!"

Hi-Jax was immediately overwhelmed with surprise. He gaped and looked over to Cyra, who was likewise taken completely aback. She was even more amazed when Commander Nebula took another gold medal and pinned it on her uniform, promoting her to full field officer status and assigning her to assist and monitor Hi-Jax in his mission.

"Congratulations, Ranger Cyra," saluted Buzz.

"Way to go, Cyra," smiled Mira, giving the rookie a thumbs-up.

"Hot rockets!" cheered Booster giving Cyra a huge hug, nearly squeezing the organic and mechanical life out of her. X.R. took a giant party popper out of his chest drawer and showered the rookie with streamers and confetti in celebration.

Hi-Jax could only stare sadly at her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, whilst the Little Green Men and the rest of Star Command were rebuilding, an excited Cyra was busy packing her rucksack, getting ready for the new adventures that were awaiting her, then disciplining herself to remember that she was on an important mission, for the safety of the entire world.

Hi-Jax then entered the Locker Room. Cyra closed her locker door and turned to face him, with a huge smile.

"God…I can't believe it!" she beamed. "I'm actually gonna see the whole wide world! I thought I…I mean, as I'm sure you know, Sharak and the Organization have been spreading like wildfire over the last few months. They've all been making advances, creating new troops and taking over so many worlds because of the war. Our best strategy…oh, my God, Hi-Jax, do you really think I can do this? What if I mess stuff up? What if I…?"

Cyra stopped rambling when she realised that Hi-Jax was still staring at her.

Sadly.

"Are…are you okay?"

Hi-Jax paused and then took his shades off to show Cyra his eyes for the first time.

"No, I'm not," admitted the teenage exile painfully. "I very rarely have been. I very rarely am these days. Like I said earlier, Cyra…it's not all fun and games."

Cyra's lip started to quiver.

"You don't want me to come with you."

"I'm not saying that. In fact…I'm really fed up with being on my own, but…"

"But…?"

Cyra's eyes were so precarious. And so were Hi-Jax's. He really didn't know how to say this without creating a rift between them. The anomaly really liked her, and wanted to help her.

Tense moments passed, feeling like an eternity. Eventually, Hi-Jax explained, "My friend…Kim Possible…few months back she became a prisoner of Sharak. She's still his prisoner now. I've destroyed worlds and taken lives, caused so much pain to those I care about…"

Cyra could feel Hi-Jax's despair emitting from his heart and really started to feel for him as the words were trapped in the anomaly's throat.

"If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Cyra raised an eyebrow.

"You think I can't cut it?"

"You proved today that you can, Cyra. That's not what I'm…"

"Don't back paddle with me, mister!" shouted the rookie, angrily, dropping her bag and getting right into the anomaly's face to jab an angry finger into his chest. "You think I'm such a nervous wreck that I can't cut it!"

"No, not at all, I…" Hi-Jax blurted, caught unawares by this bipolar change of attitude.

"Yeah, I'm nervous, yeah, I'm excitable and yeah, I can also be professional! I wouldn't have signed up for the ranger corps if I didn't think I can go! So WE'RE gonna go out there, kick Sharak's tail across the galaxy, do the same with those Organization losers and we're gonna have a great time doing it! Capiche?"

Hi-Jax just stood awestruck and slack-jawed for several seconds before grinning, "Spoken like a true anomaly."

Now it was Cyra's turn for her jaw to drop.

"So…so you _do _want me to come with you?"

"Are you kidding me? I'd love it!"

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" squeaked the rookie, wrapping her arms around her elder and hugging him tightly. Hi-Jax could only laugh in gratitude. It felt so good to have a friend to travel with him again after all this time.

Cyra then nervously pulled herself away from Hi-Jax and dusted herself off. She coughed to regain her dignity and seriously stated, "Right, well, I just have to return my suit and hand in my preliminary report first. I'll meet you at the Launch Bay."

"Okay, then," nodded Hi-Jax. Cyra picked up her back and ran out of the Locker Room with such a smile on her. Hi-Jax smirked, shook his head and put his shades back on, before likewise turning to leave.

* * *

In the corridor outside, Nebula and Buzz had overheard everything. The commander then turned to his finest ranger with a concerned look.

"Y'know, Buzz," Nebula began, scratching his head, "I've known Rick Dicker for a long time. He's a great agent and a good judge of character. But leaving the fate of the world to a kid like Hi-Jax? And partnering him up with a rookie with so many glitches in her circuits?"

"The King's spoken very highly of Hi-Jax as you recall, Commander," explained Buzz. "He clearly believes in him. Everyone is fighting the good fight, especially Hi-Jax. And he needs all the help he can get."

"Ranger Cyra's good…but she's as jittery as a June bug!"

"She passed all the tests with high scores. She handled herself admirably in the field of battle and averted a major catastrophe. That's why I chose to partner the two of them, sir. Hi-Jax can give her all the confidence in the world. And Cyra can give him what everyone needs."

Nebula smiled at Buzz, knowing what he meant.

"Back up. 'Cos everybody needs back-up."

"That's something I learned the hard way, commander."

Nebula turned to the direction that Hi-Jax and Cyra had gone and contemplated the situation. He then turned back to Buzz and said, "Hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

Cyra, now dressed in blue jeans, white trainers, denim jacket, t-shirt with the King's trademark, junk metal bracelet, lucky charm necklace and her hair in a ponytail, ran with her bag in hand to see a smiling Hi-Jax at the ready.

"Ready to go?" asked the teenage exile.

"As I'll ever be!" nodded the techno-organic enthusiastically.

Hi-Jax then opened a dark path to take them both to the next world. Looking back to his new partner and friend, the anomaly warned again, "Not all fun and games."

"But it can be," Cyra pointed out.

"That's what I've come to learn," agreed Hi-Jax. "Now, off we go!"

As the two took off to face the next world, Cyra couldn't help but look back at Mira, Booster and X.R. cheering her on and yelling, "Go get 'em, kid!" Before she faded out of existence, she shouted back, in gratitude for everything her friends had done for her, "Oh, they'd better watch out! Cyra's entering the fray!"


End file.
